Beijing: Activist Hu Jia (inset, also seen his wife holding their baby) was sentenced on Thursday to three years and six months in jail for subversion, his lawyer said, amid what rights groups charge is a campaign by China to silence dissent before the Olympics.
The verdict against Hu, 34, was delivered at a court in Beijing after he pleaded not guilty to "incitement to subvert state power" during his one-day trial on March 18, lawyer Li Fangping said. Li said the charge had related to Hu posting information on the Internet and speaking with foreign reporters.
"The evidence was publishing articles in and outside of China and accepting interviews with the foreign press," Li told reporters outside the court. "As lawyers we propose that Hu Jia appeal this sentence but it is up to him and we will wait for his decision. We have not had a chance to exchange ideas with him so far."
Hu had for many years been one of China's most active human rights campaigners, and the European Union had called for his release following his detention on December 27 last year. Hu's sentence came less than two weeks after another critic of the Chinese government, Yang Chunlin, was jailed for five years on similar charges after speaking out on human rights issues ahead of the Beijing Games.
Rights groups have regularly criticised China's use of the subversion of state power charge as a tool to silence anyone critical of the Communist Party, a campaign they have said has intensified ahead of the Games. They have argued this is in contravention of the pledges China made to win the Games that it would improve its human rights record.
Beijing: Activist Hu Jia (inset, also seen his wife holding their baby) was sentenced on Thursday to three years and six months in jail for subversion, his lawyer said, amid what rights groups charge is a campaign by China to silence dissent before the Olympics. 
