A farmer in Sichuan Province who was mistakenly arrested by police 21 years ago for the murder of his former wife is due to receive compensation in a week from the local government after the woman was found to be alive.

Luo Kaiyou

Luo Kaiyou, 46, a drugstore manager, was detained for over a year on suspicion of murder, police in Leibo county told the Global Times Monday.

In January 1989, police arrested Luo for the murder of his missing wife, Li Peixiang, and also detained his father, brother and three neighbors for 21 months before releasing them due to a lack of evidence.

Luo said he was labeled a murderer by his fellow villagers for more than 20 years after his release.

The identification of Luo's former wife, Li, who is now named Li Fangping, proved his innocence, according to Ye Jianhua, the director of the Leibo county Public Security Bureau.

"It was a mistake by local police that caused Luo to be identified as a murderer," Ye said.

Ye told the Global Times that the amount of the compensation is still unknown.

The local government will hold a meeting Tuesday and announce the facts of the case to its residents.

"After 21 years, I am finally no longer a murderer," Luo told the Global Times Monday.

Experts said the case came under new regulations on compensation for damages done by the government under a clause added to a revised compensation law in December.

Zhang Xingshui, a senior lawyer at Beijing Kingdom Law Firm, told the Global Times that if the Leibo government compensates Luo according to the law, the case will urge local governments around the country to protect citizens from having their rights infringed by local authorities.