TAIWAN: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST KILLER ARSONIST

The Supreme Court of Taiwan upheld the death sentence against a man who was convicted of killing five people more than two years ago when he set a house on fire.
Peng Chien-yuan of Hsinchu City was sentenced to death by a lower court in November 2012, and the appeals have been rejected by the two higher courts since then.
He was found guilty of burning down the house of a close friend surnamed Chou in March 2012 after Chou turned down his request for help. Chou and four other people died in the fire.
In accordance with Taiwan law, the case was sent to the High Court and then to Supreme Court, which both upheld the death sentence against Peng.
Under Taiwan's law, life imprisonment and death sentences are automatically appealed, with or without the defendant's consent, until the case reaches the highest court, if the sentence is not commuted or overturned.
Peng is the first offender to have exhausted the death sentence appeal process this year.