The Taiwan High Court yesterday upheld a not guilty verdict for 10 defendants in connection with the death of corporal Hung Chung-chiu’s (洪仲丘) in 2013.
The defendants include Major Yang Fang-han (楊方漢), commander of the 269th Brigade in Taoyuan, and other officers.
The High Court upheld February’s ruling by the Taoyuan District Court, which said the defendants acted in accordance with the instructions from the Hsinchu County-based 542nd Armored Brigade, which Hung belonged to, when he was sent to the 269th Brigade for punishment.
Officers of 269th Brigade followed the instructions to detain Hung and punish him through rigorous physical exercise, the High Court said.
The defendants did not intend to violate Hung’s freedom of movement and should not be responsible for his death, the court said.
The ruling can still be appealed.
Hung, 23, was just three days away from finishing his mandatory military service when he was punished for allegedly taking a mobile phone with a built-in camera onto his brigade’s base.
He was transferred to the detention center at 269th Brigade in then-Taoyuan County on June 28.
On July 3, Hung collapsed after being forced to perform a series of strenuous exercises.
There is ongoing public prosecution and civil lawsuit cases against officers of the 542nd Armored Brigade.
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