"Sadly, the judicial system has spent far more energy on refuting the defense of the defendants, than on investigating and discovering the facts. In other words, they [the judiciary] had presumed the defendants were guilty from the very start," Lee concluded.
The campaign continues, but the momentum is declining. Campaigners have begun to worry their efforts for the three death row inmates will be proven fruitless once again.
"Some of us are actually thinking of giving up ... that seems unavoidable if you knew how limited the manpower and resources of the campaigning groups are," said Ku Yu-jane (
"But the last thing we want to see is these three people once again let down, which has happened in every every other previous campaign," Ku said.
Although the case has attracted a lot of media attention overseas, it does not cause much of a stir anymore in Taiwan. It is all too common for people to challenge the clemency campaign by asking "how could over 40 judges all have erred in convicting the three defendants?"
"It is, without a doubt, the biggest obstacle in our campaign. People can hardly believe that intelligent, highly-respected judges would make the same mistake," Ku said.
"But it's very likely they would change their minds if they look at the decidions handed down by the judges, which tell a story of presumption of guilt, as opposed to presumption of innocence," Ku said.
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