(File photo)

The long-disputed punishment for Jia Jinglong, a villager from Hebei province who killed his village head, was settled once and for all on Nov. 15, with an execution order from the Supreme People’s Court (SPC). The court stuck to its death penalty ruling in spite of significant opposition.

Jia was executed by the intermediate court of Shijiazhuang in Hebei. The court sentenced Jia to death in November 2015, and the Hebei Provincial High Court sustained the ruling in May 2016, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In February 2015, Jia shot and killed the 55-year-old chief of his village using a modified nail gun. The attack was intended as revenge for the demolition of Jia's house during the village's reconstruction campaign in 2013.

Several Chinese law experts have been voicing their opposition to the execution since May. Jia’s punishment also triggered debate on Chinese social media, with many saying the penalty was too harsh. Some netizens believe Jia's sentence should be commuted because his rights were violated. Reports also note that Jia intended to surrender himself after the killing, according to Global Times.

The SPC ruled that the method of murder was extremely cruel and caused a severe social impact. For that reason, the court found the original convictions both appropriate and accurate based on solid evidence. The ruling added that Jia’s rights of action, including his right to defense, were protected during the review of his death penalty. Jia was permitted to visit with his family before his execution.