Chinese bags 20 years for torturing Rwandan

The Story
A Rwandan court has sentenced a Chinese national to 20 years in jail for torturing local mineworkers.

How did it get to court?
The incident became known after a video showing the Chinese national, Sun Shujun, whipping a man tied to a post went viral on social media. Shujun was arrested in September and had been on bail until his conviction on Tuesday.

What led to the torture?
The 43-year-old acknowledged assaulting two workers, but said he beat them because he was “frustrated and fed up of them constantly stealing minerals”. He, however, argued for his release, on the grounds that he already compensated the two by paying a total of more than one million Rwandan francs ($1,000) and signing a “reconciliation letter”.

Did he enter a deal over the payment?
That’s not clear, as the prosecution argued that the victims had accepted the payments “because they were traumatised and afraid of him”. Shujun has up to 30 days to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Rwanda said it has taken note of the ruling, adding that “the embassy always asks Chinese citizens in Rwanda to abide by local laws and regulations”.