Yuan Xiuzhen, a 46 year old woman, and three men, Hu...

Yuan Xiuzhen, a 46 year old woman, and three men, Hu Aizhong, Yang Pinwu and Chen Shibin were executed in Beijing after being convicted of violent crime, including murder and armed robbery.
The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court carried out the executions following a decree signed by the president of the Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court.
Yuan Xiuzhen had been sentenced to death for the murder of an 80- year old man who had lent her money.
Yuan suffocated her victim with a washing towel after he demanded repayment.
The three others were "peasant farmers," who were convicted of murder and armed robbery in three separate incidents, state media reported without further elaboration.