Nanning District Court in south ‪China‬’s ‪Guangxi‬ province on Tuesday released an investigation report in response to a recent case in which a Guangxi lawyer was allegedly beaten by court officers in a courthouse.

The report confirms that the court officers did exploit powers to cause the incident last Friday, when the lawyer Wu Liangshu was to file a case at the courthouse.

However, the report says that court officers’ conduct in this incident did not constitute an assault. Based on the evidence from the CCTV camera at the scene, the report says that court officers did take possession of Wu’s cellphone and caused W’s trousers torn apart. The officers did shut the door of the room in which Wu was in, and Wu was being held from the back and pushed onto the ground, according to the investigation.

The report further revealed that officers had stepped onto Wu’s chest, and all these conducts happened within one minute. The report also explains that court officers’ forceful search was to ensure Wu’s cellphone did not contain any unpermitted recordings. Since they did not have any intention of causing bodily harm, and Wu was released immediately right after they got hold of his cellphone, their conducts did not constitute as an assault.

Wu Liangshu walks out of the court half naked.

The report adds that court officers’ forcefully search of Wu’s cellphone for unpermitted recordings on the basis of no evidence was wrongful, as such conduct has gone over the legal boundary and should be seen as an exploitation of powers. For these reasons, the district court apologizes to Wu and is to compensate Wu’s losses in this incident.

The incident took place last Friday, when Wu said that he was beaten by court officers after his request to file a case in a district court in Nanning was rejected.

According to Wu, the clash broke out when he refused to hand over his mobile phone for inspection by the Qingxiu District Court officers. Wu had used the phone to record a conversation with court officials in the court’s petition office.

Wu was seen leaving the courthouse with his clothes torn apart by the officers.

The incident caused a stir online. Many web-users say that the report is mere juggling with terms. "It is simple and clear: the court police beat the lawyer," One web-user commented. 

>>>Related: Lawyer association urges investigation into attack on Guangxi lawyer

The All China Lawyers Association (ACLA), China’s official professional association for lawyers, issued a letter of investigation on Monday requiring the Guangxi Lawyers Association (GLA) to make a thorough investigation into the case of a local lawyer who claims to have been assaulted in a courtroom by police officers. Full Story