China yesterday sentenced writer and cyber-dissident Lu Gengsong (呂耿松) to four years in jail for "inciting subversion of state power," his lawyer said.
The Intermediate People's Court in Huangzhou announced the verdict over Lu, a prolific writer on corruption, yesterday morning, his lawyer Mo Shaoping (莫少平) said by telephone.
"We decided beforehand that if he was sentenced we would appeal, so that's definitely what we'll do," Mo said.
PHOTO: AFP
The former lecturer's wife, daughter and two friends were present when the verdict was read at the end of a 15-minute court session, rights group Chinese Human Rights Defenders said in a statement.
BARRED
Police barred other supporters and friends from attending the verdict by either putting them under house arrest or preventing them from entering the courtroom, the group said.
Lu, a 51-year-old freelance writer who was formally arrested in September, has published extensively on graft, including the book Corrupted Officials in China, which appeared in Hong Kong in 2000.
He is also known for disclosing a large number of illegal eviction cases, supporters said.
Lu's arrest was seen by rights groups as part of a major crackdown on dissent amid growing social unrest despite China's pledge to ease curbs on media and individual freedoms ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a report in August that at least 30 journalists and 50 cyber-dissidents were being detained in China for work that angered Chinese authorities.
RELEASED
Also yesterday, China freed a Hong Kong-based reporter for a Singaporean newspaper jailed for five years for allegedly spying for Taiwan after intense lobbying from activists and politicians for clemency ahead of the Olympics.
Ching Cheong (程翔), reportedly in poor health since his detention in 2005 and whose family had pushed for an early release on medical grounds, was expected in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon, a Hong Kong official said.
"We have informed Ching Cheong's family about his release," Susana Kwong, principal information officer for the Chief Executive's office said. But she said the conditions of the release were not clear.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (
Ching, a reporter for Singa-pore's Straits Times newspaper, was detained in April 2005 and later sentenced to five years in jail in a high-profile case underscoring the country's curbs on the media and dissent. Beijing says strict controls are necessary to preserve stability.
Calls from around the world had persisted for Ching's early release, many citing China's express intention of fostering a more open media environment.
"I wouldn't say it's a surprise, but this news has definitely come all of a sudden," said Mak Chai-ming (
REACTION
Taipei welcomed the release yesterday and called for Beijing to lift all restrictions on the media and free speech.
"Like Mr Ching, many other people have been put under surveillance and house arrest or detained clandestinely by Chinese authorities for covering news or for seeking freedom of speech,'' the Mainland Affairs Council said.
"China has hoped to nurture an image corresponding with that of a rising power," the council said in a statement. "We urge the international community to push the Chinese authorities to remove their control of news and freedom of speech at an early date."
Xinhua news agency has said Ching was convicted of selling unspecified "state secrets and intelligence" to a Taiwanese foundation, which it said was a front for Taiwanese espionage activities in China.
The National Security Bureau has denied using the organization -- known as the Foundation for International and Cross Strait Studies -- for spying, saying it only commissioned the group to conduct academic research.
The Taipei MRT is open all night tonight following New Year’s Eve festivities, and is offering free rides from nearby Green Line stations. Taipei’s 2025 New Year’s Eve celebrations kick off at Taipei City Hall Square tonight, with performances from the boy band Energy, the South Korean girl group Apink, and singers Gigi Leung (梁詠琪) and Faith Yang (楊乃文). Taipei 101’s annual New Year’s firework display follows at midnight, themed around Taiwan’s Premier12 baseball championship. Estimates say there will be about 200,000 people in attendance, which is more than usual as this year’s celebrations overlap with A-mei’s (張惠妹) concert at Taipei Dome. There are
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday vowed to investigate claims made in a YouTube video about China’s efforts to politically influence young Taiwanese and encourage them to apply for Chinese ID cards. The council’s comments follow Saturday’s release of a video by Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) and YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” on China’s “united front” tactics. It is the second video on the subject the pair have released this month. In the video, Chen visits the Taiwan Youth Entrepreneurship Park in Quanzhou in China’s Fujian Province and the Strait Herald news platform in Xiamen, China. The Strait Herald — owned by newspaper
NEW YEAR’S ADDRESS: ‘No matter what threats and challenges Taiwan faces, democracy is the only path,’ William Lai said, urging progress ‘without looking back’ President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged parties across the political divide to democratically resolve conflicts that have plagued domestic politics within Taiwan’s constitutional system. In his first New Year’s Day address since becoming president on May 20 last year, Lai touched on several issues, including economic and security challenges, but a key emphasis was on the partisan wrangling that has characterized his first seven months in office. Taiwan has transformed from authoritarianism into today’s democracy and that democracy is the future, Lai said. “No matter what threats and challenges Taiwan faces, democracy is the only path for Taiwan,” he said. “The only choice
CORRUPTION: Twelve other people were convicted on charges related to giving illegal benefits, forgery and money laundering, with sentences ranging from one to five years The Yilan District Court yesterday found Yilan County Commissioner Lin Zi-miao (林姿妙) guilty of corruption, sentencing her to 12 years and six months in prison. The Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office in 2022 indicted 10 government officials and five private individuals, including Lin, her daughter and a landowner. Lin was accused of giving illegal favors estimated to be worth NT$2.4 million (US$73,213) in exchange for using a property to conduct activities linked to the 2020 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential and legislative election campaigns. Those favors included exempting some property and construction firms from land taxes and building code contraventions that would have required
RSS