The acquittal of an innocent Pingtan man of murder charges reflects progress in China’s judicial system, said You Quan, Party secretary of Fujian province, on March 12.

You made the remark at a Fujian panel discussion over a Supreme People's Court work report during an ongoing annual session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC), where Nian Bin’s case of wrong conviction was mentioned.

Nian Bin, 38, was arrested in 2006 after two of his neighbors died from poisoning after having dinner. Police considered him a suspect in the case because he was not on good terms with the family of the victims.

In February 2008, Nian was sentenced to death by the intermediate court in Fuzhou, and his appeal to the provincial high court was unsuccessful.

He was sentenced to death four times - three times by the intermediate court and once by the high people's court - until he was released in August of this year after the Fujian provincial high court declared him innocent, citing insufficient evidence.

The Fujian delegation of the 12th National People’s Congress hold a panel discussion over a Supreme People's Court work report on March 12. [Photo by Hu Meidong for China Daily]