China jails prominent rights lawyer for 4-1/2 years for subversion
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS JANUARY 27, 2019 / 9:38 PM / UPDATED 16 MINUTES AGO
China jails prominent rights lawyer for 4-1/2 years for subversion
BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese court on Monday jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang for 4-1/2 years for subversion of state power, it said online, after he was tried in a December hearing that rights groups called a sham.
Wang, who had taken on cases deemed sensitive by Chinese authorities, such as accusations of police torture or defending members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, went missing in August 2015, amid a sweeping crackdown on rights activists and lawyers.
In a short statement on its website, the Tianjin Number 2 Intermediate Peoples Court in the northern port city of Tianjin released a verdict, saying that Yang had been found guilty.
It is not possible to contact Wang for comment.
After Wangs Dec. 26 hearing, the United Nations called for Chinese authorities to ensure his due process rights are respected and said that there were serious human rights concerns about the way his case had been handled.
-snip-
Read more:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights/china-jails-prominent-rights-lawyer-for-4-1-2-years-for-subversion-idUSKCN1PM04C