Zhou Yongkang is said to have pleaded for his life and reported on his allies after confessing crimes for which he could be sentenced to death, according to Hong Kong and overseas Chinese news media.
The former Politburo member and head of the Chinese regime’s security apparatus was officially investigated in August 2014 for “grave violations of discipline”—a Party term synonymous with corruption—and charged with bribery, abuse of power, and leaking state secrets early April.
While in detention, Zhou reportedly refused to sign the detention documents, claimed he was “being persecuted,” went on a hunger strike, faked a suicide attempt, and acted insane, according to Hong Kong publication The Trend.
The ex-security czar eventually caved under interrogation and started talking—22 testimonies were yielded in 27 trial sessions that spanned 112 hours between January and March this year. Zhou’s misdeeds warrant the death sentence, according to The Trend.
