The day despair turned into delight

Sun Changsong, 65, a farmer from Shenyang, Liaoning province, was released from prison in July after spending five years in jail as a result of a flawed conviction.

I was arrested on suspicion of contract fraud in November 2011, but I pleaded not guilty. While I was in the detention house, I applied for legal aid so I could hire a lawyer to defend me. I knew that suspects are given that right under the law.

However, when I spoke with some of the other detainees, they told me that the application procedure was difficult. Some of them didn't even know that they needed a lawyer or legal aid.