NOTE: This post was published on December 5, 2020, but this post is dated the date the court judgment was issued in order to prevent confusion.
First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing
Criminal Judgment
(2003) First Intermediate First Instance No. 14991
The public prosecution agency was the People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1.
Defendant Huang Qunwei, male, 25 years old (born [INTENTIONALLY DELETED], 1978), Han ethnicity, place of birth Beijing, associates degree, unemployed, residing at Qinghuayuan, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing. On May 3, 2003 he was taken into custody on suspicion of committing the crime of fabricating false terrorist information and was granted bail on the same day. On May 8 of the same year he was taken into criminal detention, and was arrested on May 16. He is currently being held in custody at the Beijing Detention Center.
Appointed defense counsel Xu Lanting is a lawyer at the Beijing Junzejun Law Firm.
In the Jing Procuratorate Branch 1 Criminal Indictment (2003) No. 95 indictment the People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1 charged defendant Huang Qunwei committing the crime of fabricating false terrorist information, and on May 27, 2003 filed a public prosecution with this Court. This Court formed a collegial panel in accordance with the law, and convened public hearings to try this case. The People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1 assigned Procurator Zhu Lan and Acting Procurator Li Hong to appear in court in support of the public prosecution, and defendant Huang Qunwei and his assigned defense counsel Xu Lanting appeared in court to participate in the proceedings. The trial has now concluded.
The People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1 charged that from April 25 to May 2, 2003, defendant Huang Qunwei at his home at [INTENTIONALLY DELETED], Qinghuayuan, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing, took advantage of a period of time when there was a peak in the SARS epidemic in Beijing and it was easy to instill psychological panic in people to fabricate articles without any factual basis with titles such as: "Absolutely Reliable News, Shanghai Concealed a Large Number of SARS Cases," "China has Officially Entered an Economic Crisis Due to SARS," and "With This Kind of Security, Take the Opportunity Created by SARS to Make Money," and used a home computer to log into the Internet by dialing from his home phone to spread them on the Internet.
The People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1 transferred evidence of the crimes charged against defendant Huang Qunwei to this Court including witness testimony, search records, forensic conclusions, and the defendant's statements. It believes that defendant Huang Qunwei actions were an offense under the provisions of Article 291-1 of the "Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China" and constitute fabricating false terrorist information, and it requests this Court impose punishment in accordance with the law.
In court during the trial defendant Huang Qunwei did not raise any objections to the criminal facts charged by the public prosecution agency. Defendant Huang Qunwei's defense counsel believes that the article "With This Kind of Security, Take the Opportunity Created by SARS to Make Money," which the public prosecution agency charged Huang Qunwei with authoring, should not be deemed terrorist information, and that after being taken into custody Huang Qunwei was able to proactively and thoroughly come clean regarding all the criminal facts and express regret for his crimes, and asks the court to show leniency to Huang Qunwei.
It was ascertained at trial: From April 25 to April 27, 2003, defendant Huang Qunwei at his home at [INTENTIONALLY DELETED], Qinghuayuan, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing, took advantage of a period of time when there was a peak in the SARS epidemic in Beijing and it was easy to instill psychological panic in people to fabricate articles without any factual basis with titles such as: "Absolutely Reliable News, Shanghai Concealed a Large Number of SARS Cases" and "China has Officially Entered an Economic Crisis Due to SARS" and used a home computer to log into the Internet by dialing from his home phone. He went online and posted several times on forums such as the "Sohu website" news commentary forum web page and the "Xilu website's" "Sea and Sky" lying that China's Shanghai already head hundreds of "SARS" fatalities, that over 3,000 people had died nationwide, and encouraged people to stockpile. This created an atmosphere of terror and severely disrupted social order. On May 3, 2003, defendant Huang Qunwei was apprehended and brought to justice.
The aforementioned facts have been affirmed by this Court by the following evidence which has been produced, examined, and substantiated in court:
1. The testimony of witness Huang Huaiwei proved: Recently, his younger brother Huang Qunwei often used a home-built computer to go online at home. Huang Qunwei usually went online after dinner, and often went to some forums to download comments made by other Internet users on a certain issue. After Huang Qunwei was released on bail by a public security agency awaiting trial, he told him that it was because he of the articles he posted online saying more than 400 people died of "SARS" in Shanghai, prices soared, and security guards using "SARS" to make money.
2. Search record and lists of seized items proved: On May 3, 2003, public security personnel seized one desktop computer from the southern living room of Huang Qunwei's home during the process of a search in accordance with the law.
3. One home computer was produced in court, and was identified by defendant Huang Qunwei in court and confirmed as the tool used by him in the commission of this case.
4. The Network Monitoring (2003) No. 28 forensic results produced by the Public Security Bureau of Beijing's Public Information Network Security Monitoring Detachment proved: An analysis of the computer used by Huang Qunwei found the contents of two articles on the machine: "absolutely reliable information, Shanghai has concealed a large number of SARS cases" and "China has officially entered an economic crisis due to SARS." Huang Qunwei used the online alias "zzzzxxxxzz" on the "Xilu website."
5. The evidentiary materials and download recordal materials produced by the Sohu Aitexin Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. proved: Around April 25, 2003, an Internet user with the alias "Head-on Attack" published an article titled "Absolutely reliable news, Shanghai conceals a large number of SARS cases" on Sohu.com's Society and Humanities forum. Around April 27, they used the same alias to post "China has entered an economic crisis due to SARS" on Sohu.com (the forum is unknown), and then changed the title to "Shanghai conceals a large number of SARS cases." A thorough search found the aforementioned three articles posted by an Internet user with the alias "Head-on Attack," and a recordal was made. The aforementioned articles were posted at the following times (respectively): 22:46, 23:04, and 23:38 on April 25, 2003; 19:30, 23:28, 23:32, 23:41, and 23:51 on April 26, 2003; and 21:02 on April 27, 2003.
6. The evidentiary materials produced by the Beijing Xilu Information Technology Co., Ltd. proved: (i) At 18:58 on April 26, 2003, a user named "zzzzxxxxzz" registered and published on the "Xilu Network" [www.xilu.com] Forum Haikuotian [skysea.xilubbs.com] with the subject "Absolutely Reliable Inside Information" the article "Shanghai conceals a large number of SARS Cases," the IP address was [202.108.136.154], when the security monitor on duty on Xilu deleted the article at 20:42 that day, the click rate was 945; (ii) At 23:42 on April 26, 2003, a registered user named [hushuoya] published an article titled "China Has Truly Entered an Economic Crisis Due to SARS" on the "Xilu Network" forum [skysea.xilubbs.com], the IP address was [218.245.168.103], when the security supervisor on duty on Xilu deleted the article, the click rate was 386.
7. The evidentiary materials produced by the Beijing Changjie Network Communication Co., Ltd. prove: At 23:04 on April 25, 2003, the dialing number using that company's IP address was the phone number of defendant Huang Qunwei's home.
8. The apprehension process produced by the Public Security Bureau of Beijing proved: Huang Qunwei was apprehended at around 11:00 am on May 3, 2003 at [INTENTIONALLY DELETED], Qinghuayuan, Hadian District, Beijing.
9. Defendant Huang Qunwei's statements regarding the time, place, circumstances, and methods of the commission of the case correspond to the aforementioned evidence and are mutually corroborating.
This Court finds defendant Huang Qunwei intentionally fabricated false terrorist information and intentionally posted and publicized it on the Internet at a particular period of time when China's people were fighting the "SARS" epidemic, severely disrupting social order. His actions constitute the crime of fabricating and intentionally publicizing false terrorist information, and he shall be punished in accordance with the law.
With respect to the defense opinion proffered by defendant Huang Qunwei's defense counsel that the content of the "With This Kind of Security, Take the Opportunity Created by SARS to Make Money " article which the indictment charged Huang Qunwei with publishing online was not terrorist information, the rationale is established and is accepted by this Court. But with respect to the defense opinion requesting Huang Qunwei be given a suspended sentence, in consideration of the specific circumstances of Huang Qunwei's crime a suspended sentence would be inappropriate, and therefore this Court does not accept it.
With respect to the People's Procuratorate of Beijing Branch No. 1's charges against defendant Huang Qunwei, the evidence that a crime has been committed is reliable. But the defendant both acted to fabricate false terrorist information and acted to disseminating it online, and therefore the offense charged by the public prosecution agency is insufficiently precise, and is amended by this Court. Accordingly, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of the Third Amendment to the "Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China," Articles 291-1, 61, and 64 of the "Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China," and Article 10(1) of the "Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Specific Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Obstructing the Prevention and Control of Emergent Infectious Diseases," the judgment is as follows:
1. Defendant Huang Qunwei committed the crime of fabricating and intentionally publicizing false terrorist information and is sentenced to a fixed term imprisonment of three years. (The prison term is to be calculated starting on the day the judgment is executed, and each day in custody prior to the execution of the judgment shall count as one day of the prison term, that is from May 8, 2003 to May 6, 2006).
2. One seized desktop computer used by defendant Huang Qunwei in the commission of the crime is confiscated.
If any party does not accept this judgment, they may within 10 days after the second day after receiving this written judgment bring an appeal through this Court or directly to the High People's Court of Beijing. A written appeal should be submitted with one original and three copies of the appeal brief.
[TEXT INDICATING ADJUDICATORS, CLERK, AND JUDGMENT DATE MISSING FROM SOURCE MATERIAL.]
北京市第一中级人民法院
刑事判决书
（2003）一中刑初字第1499号
公诉机关北京市人民检察院第一分院。
被告人黄群威，男，25岁（1978年[INTENTIONALLY DELETED]出生），汉族，出生地北京市，大专文化，无业，住北京市海淀区中关村清华园。因涉嫌犯编造虚假恐怖信息罪，于2003年5月3日被羁押，同日被取保候审，同年5月8日被刑事拘留，5月16日被逮捕。现羁押在北京市看守所。
指定辩护人许兰亭，北京市君泽君律师事务所律师。
北京市人民检察院第一分院以京检一分刑诉字（2003）第95号起诉书指控被告人黄群威犯编造虚假恐怖信息罪，于2003年5月27日向本院提起公诉。本院依法组成合议庭，公开开庭进行了审理。北京市人民检察院第一分院指派检察员朱兰、代理检察员李宏出庭支持公诉，被告人黄群威及其指定辩护人许兰亭到庭参加诉讼。现已审理终结。
北京市人民检察院第一分院指控，被告人黄群威于2003年4月25日至5月2日间，在北京市海淀区清华园[INTENTIONALLY DELETED]家中，借当时北京市“非典型肺炎”疫情高发期易引起人们心理恐慌之机，在无任何事实依据的情况下，编造题为《绝对可靠消息，上海隐瞒了大量非典病例》、《中国已因非典而正式进入了经济危机》、《如此保安，借非典趁机赚钱》等文章，使用家中电脑，通过其住宅电话以拨号方式登陆互联网进行传播。
北京市人民检察院第一分院向本院移送了指控被告人黄群威犯罪的证人证言、搜查笔录、鉴定结论及被告人供述等证据，认为被告人黄群威的行为触犯了《中华人民共和国刑法》第二百九十一条之一的规定，已构成编造虚假恐怖信息罪，提请本院依法惩处。
被告人黄群威在法庭审理中对公诉机关指控的犯罪事实未提出异议。被告人黄群威的辩护人认为，公诉机关指控黄群威编写的《如此保安，借非典趁机赚钱》一文，不应认定为虚假恐怖信息；黄群威被羁押后能够主动、彻底坦白全部犯罪事实，有悔罪表现，请求法院对黄群威判处缓刑。
经审理查明：被告人黄群威于2003年4月25日至4月27日，在北京市海淀区清华园[INTENTIONALLY DELETED]家中，借当时北京市“非典型性肺炎”疫情高发期易引起人们心理恐慌之机，在无任何事实依据的情况下，编造题为《绝对可靠消息，上海隐瞒了大量非典病例》、《中国已因非典而正式进入了经济危机》的文章，使用家中电脑，通过其住宅电话以拨号方式登陆互联网，在“搜狐网站”新闻评论网页和“西路网站”的“海阔天空”等论坛中，多次上网传播，谎称我国上海市已因“非典型性肺炎”死亡数百人、全国死亡3000多人，鼓动尽快储备物品，制造恐怖气氛，严重扰乱了社会秩序。
2003年5月3日，被告人黄群威被抓获归案。
上述事实，有下列经法庭举证、质证的证据在案证实，本院予以确认：
1、证人黄怀威的证言证明：近一段时间，他的弟弟黄群威常在家使用组装的一台电脑上网。黄群威一般是在晚饭后上网，经常去一些论坛下载其他网民就某一问题发表的评论。黄群威被公安机关取保候审后，对他说是因为在网上发表了上海因“非典”死亡400多人、物价飞涨、保安借“非典”发财等内容的文章。
2、搜查笔录和扣押物品清单证明：公安人员在2003年5月3日依法搜查过程中，从黄群威家南侧客厅扣押电脑主机1台。
3、当庭出示扣押的电脑主机1台，经被告人黄群威当庭辨认，确认为其使用的作案工具。
4、北京市公安局公共信息网络安全监察处出具的网监鉴字［2003］28号鉴定结果证明：对起获的黄群威使用的电脑主机检验发现，机内存有《绝对可靠消息，上海隐瞒了大量非典病例》、《中国已因非典而正式进入了经济危机》两篇文章的内容；黄群威在“西路网站”使用的网名为“zzzzxxxxzz”。
5、搜狐爱特信信息技术（北京）有限公司出具的证明材料和下载备份资料证明：2003年4月25日左右，一名为“迎头痛击”的网民在搜狐网社会人文类的论坛上发表了题目为《绝对可靠消息，上海隐瞒了大量非典病例》的文章，4月27日左右，以同样网名在搜狐网（论坛不明）张贴了《中国因非典而进入经济危机》，后将题目改成《上海隐瞒了大量非典病例》。经全面搜索，找到网名为“迎头痛击”的网友发表的上述三篇文章，并作备份。上述文章的发表时间分别为：2003年4月25日22时46分、23时04分、23时38分；4月26日19时30分、23时28分、23时32分、23时41分、23时51分；4月27日21时02分。
6、北京市西路信息技术有限公司出具的证明材料证明：①2003年4月26日18时58分，注册名为“zzzzxxxxzz”的用户，在“西路网”［www.xilu.com］论坛海阔天空［skysea.xilubbs.com］发表标题为“绝对可靠内部消息，上海隐瞒了大量非典病例”一文，IP地址为［202.108.136.154］，西路当值安全监控员于当日20时42分删除该文章时，点击率为945次；②2003年4月26日23时42分，注册名为［hushuoya］的用户，在“西路网”论坛海阔天空［skysea.xilubbs.com］发表标题为“中国已因非典而真正进入了经济危机”一文，IP地址为［218.245.168.103］，西路当值安全监控员删除该文章时，点击率为386次。
7、北京畅捷网络通讯有限公司出具的证明材料证明：2003年4月25日23时04分，使用其公司IP地址的主叫号为被告人黄群威家中的电话号码。
8、北京市公安局出具的抓获经过证明：2003年5月3日11时许，在北京市海淀区清华园[INTENTIONALLY DELETED]将黄群威抓获。
9、被告人黄群威供述的作案时间、地点、情节、手段与上述证据相符，并可相互印证。
本院认为，被告人黄群威在我国人民共同抗击“非典型性肺炎”疫情的特殊时期，故意捏造虚假的恐怖信息并故意在互联网上发表、传播，严重扰乱了社会秩序，其行为已构成编造、故意传播虚假恐怖信息罪，依法应予惩处。被告人黄群威的辩护人提出起诉书指控黄群威在网上发表的《如此保安，借非典趁机赚钱》一文，其内容不属恐怖信息的辩护意见，理由成立，本院予以采纳；但请求对黄群威判处缓刑的辩护意见，本院考虑黄群威犯罪的具体情况，不宜对被告人适用缓刑，故不予采纳。北京市人民检察院第一分院指控被告人黄群威犯罪的证据确实，但被告人既有编造虚假恐怖信息的行为，又有上网传播的行为，因此公诉机关指控的罪名不够准确，本院予以纠正。据此，依照《中华人民共和国刑法修正案（三）》第八条、《中华人民共和国刑法》第二百九十一条之一、第六十一条、第六十四条、《最高人民法院、最高人民检察院关于办理妨害预防、控制突发传染病疫情等灾害的刑事案件具体应用法律若干问题的解释》第十条第一款的规定，判决如下：
一、被告人黄群威犯编造、故意传播虚假恐怖信息罪，判处有期徒刑三年。 （刑期从判决执行之日起计算，判决执行以前先行羁押的，羁押一日折抵刑期一日，即自2003年5月8日起至2006年5月6日止）。
二、在案扣押被告人黄群威供犯罪所用的电脑主机一台，予以没收。
如不服本判决，可在接到本判决书的第二日起十日内，通过本院或者直接向北京市高级人民法院提出上诉。书面上诉的，应当提交上诉状正本一份，副本三份。
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