Chang Linfeng, formal deputy chief editor of China Electronics News Agency, who was accused of killing his wife and burning her body five years ago, appealed to the Beijing Higher People's Court after being sentenced to death with reprieve at his first trial, claiming that he was tortured into giving a confession, Beijing News reported on May 30.

The case was retried on May 29 at Beijing First Intermediate People's Court.

Five police officers who were in charge of the case also denied they tortured Chang, but carried out a "normal interrogation", the report said.

The defendant's lawyer claimed that there was not enough evidence from the autopsy to prove Chang choked his wife to death.

"She could have fallen down the stairs or passed out due to panic or bumping into something in the fire," the report quoted the lawyer as saying.

Chang confessed that he choked his wife on May 16, 2007 and set fire to the building to make it look like his wife was burnt to death. The fire also injured two residents in the building. Chang was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in May 2010, the report said.