(The New York Times) – A Chinese human rights lawyer who has supported the families of other lawyers and activists detained in a sweeping crackdown since 2015 was declared guilty on Tuesday of inciting subversion by a court in southern China and sentenced to two years in prison.
The defendant, Jiang Tianyong, told the court in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, that he would not appeal. But his family, human rights groups and other supporters have condemned his trial in August as a carefully staged sham, and rights advocates called the verdict a vendetta after Mr. Jiang helped bring to light another lawyer’s allegations that he had been brutalized in custody.
The Hunan Intermediate People’s Court announced the sentencing of Mr. Jiang over Sina.com Weibo, a popular Chinese social media service, and the judge made clear that Mr. Jiang was being held up as a warning to other activist lawyers who challenge the strict control of President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party leader.
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