Father appeals death sentence

The father of a former medical student convicted of fatally poisoning his Fudan University roommate has made a personal appeal to the nation's highest court urging it to reject the death penalty imposed in the case.

Lin Zunyao submitted an 18,000-word petition to the criminal division of the Supreme People's Court on Friday. Several lawyers helped him list dozens of points he believed cast doubt on the appropriateness of the original verdict, Beijing Times reported.

China Daily tried to contact Lin for comment, but phone calls went unanswered on Monday.