Nine people were sentenced to death for terrorism in China's Xinjiang region Thursday. Also, three others received the death penalty with a two-year reprieve.
Local courts in six cities and prefectures sentenced 81 defendants in 23 terrorism cases to death, life imprisonment and fixed-term imprisonment, Xinhua quoted the regional higher people's court as saying.
In the 23 cases, 68 people in 13 cases committed the crimes of organizing, leading or participating in terrorist organisations, intentional homicide, arson or illegal manufacture, storage and transport of explosives.
Another 13 people in 10 cases were sentenced for making and spreading audio or video information on terrorism, inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination, or teaching criminal methods.
The crimes were the focus of a special operation against terrorism, said the regional higher people's court.