Chinese TV Show Shows Last Moment of Death Sentencing

Extremely popular and with a good deal of drama, “Interviews Before Execution” aired between 2006 and 2012. In front of nearly 40 million fans, weekly Ding Yu featured the most disturbing cases in the history of Chinese television. For her influence and popularity, the journalist has gained fame in central China's Henan province.

As the name of the show itself reveals, every Saturday night it was possible to follow one of Ding Yu's interviews with people who would die within a few weeks, days or even minutes - as some prisoners were executed as soon as the cameras and lights went off. they went out. In order to teach the population and contain possible criminals, the attraction was very successful.

China and the death penalty

Much of this success is due to the Chinese government's interest in the death penalty. Although the numbers are treated as a “state secret, ” China is believed to execute thousands of prisoners annually. This is impressive, but this is because local law condemns more than 55 crimes to the death penalty. Among them, bribery, smuggling and embezzlement can result in the maximum penalty.

But the cases carefully selected by Ding Yu were basically murder. One of the most watched episodes featured the confessions of a man who had killed his own mother. However, the program was especially popular because it was an openly gay convict - homosexuality is not well regarded in the country.

After picking the best cases and getting permission from the authorities, Ding Yu and his team needed to be quick, as many convicts were killed a few days after the sentence. This made some meetings happen just minutes before execution.

In most of the interviews, the presenter sought to maintain the journalistic tone, but there were times when she accepted to send messages to the convict's family or even expressed her opinion about the crimes committed and the sentence received by the prisoner.

A documentary and much controversy

Not surprisingly, the “Interviews Before Execution” program has caused controversy, especially in the Western world. However, the journalist has always maintained that her work was ethical. She even states that her program provided an opportunity for convicts to talk about their lives, confess their secrets, and thus be relieved.

However, when the BBC and PBS International announced their plans to broadcast a documentary about the controversial program, the Chinese government canceled the attraction in an attempt to minimize criticism that might arise. Many episodic videos circulating on the Internet were also taken down.

Either way, the BBC documentary is available on YouTube. He brings some interviews and testimonials from Ding Yu about his work. After checking, be sure to record here your opinion on this controversial Chinese television program.