China supreme court rejects death penalty for rape

China's supreme court on Thursday annulled the death penalty for two men convicted of the rape of the daughter of a social campaigner.

Zhou Junhui and Qin Xing were found guilty of rape, organizing prostitution and forcing others into prostitution, will have their cases retried at Hunan provincial higher court.

The case drew considerable attention as the victim's mother Tang Hui was put into the now defunct reeducation through labor program for petitioning for harsher punishments for Zhou and Qin.

In July, a high court in Hunan ruled in her favor when she sued the local authority for infringing her freedom and causing her psychological damage.

Her case helped bring about the abolishment of the reeducation through labor program late last year.