China's Supreme Court yesterday issued a new judicial interpretation for those who cause severe damage to electric power facilities.

Anyone who damages electric power facilities and causes the following four types of consequences will be sentenced to 10-years imprisonment, life imprisonment and even death penalty:
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-- killing one or more people and seriously injuring at least three people or slightly injuring 10 people or more;

-- cutting the electricity supply for more than six hours that affects more than 10,000 households;

-- causing a direct economic loss of more than 1 million yuan (US$131,500);

-- causing other serious consequences that endangered public security.

The Supreme Court announced that the penalties would be carried out on those parties who had damaged functional electric power plants, either previously or currently in operation.

The interpretation takes effect as of today (August 21, 2007)

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin August 21, 2007)