Chinese civil rights activist sentenced to 3-1/2 years in jail on subversion charges

Hu Jia, 34, was convicted of charges of "inciting subversion of state power" based on Internet articles he had written and interviews he gave to foreign media, said his lawyer Li Fangping.

"We're happy that he was not charged with a more severe crime, but three years and six months we still think is unacceptable," Li said.

Li earlier said he expected a 5-year sentence to be handed down. Hu has 10 days to appeal the sentence, but Li said a decision on an appeal has not been made yet.

Li said Hu appeared calm and poised as the sentence was read out at Beijing No. 1 People's Intermediate Court. Li added that Hu had been "emotionally prepared" for the verdict.

Beijing routinely uses the nebulous charge of subversion to imprison dissidents for years.

Hu has been a vocal critic of China's human rights record for years. An impassioned AIDS and environmental activist, he was confined to his Beijing apartment in a complex called "Freedom City" for more than 200 days before he was taken away by security agents on Dec. 27.

Hu's indictment cited comments he made during two interviews with foreign media and five articles he wrote that were posted on the Internet, including Boxun.com, a Chinese-language Web site that is banned in China.

Boxun.com, based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, carries reports and essays on a wide range of issues rarely seen in the Chinese state media, from corruption cases to calls for greater democracy.

His case has gained international attention, with U.S. and European officials repeatedly raising it in meetings with Chinese officials. No diplomats or journalists were allowed inside the courtroom during the trial, though his wife and mother were present.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Susan Stevenson expressed disappointment over the verdict, saying the world was closely watching China's progress on human rights ahead of the Olympic Games.

"We are dismayed by the verdict announced today in the case of prominent human rights activist Hu Jia under the specious charge of inciting subversion of state power," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had pressed Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi for Hu's immediate release during her February visit to China and U.S. officials "continue to take every opportunity to raise our concerns about Mr. Hu's case with Chinese officials at all levels, both in Beijing and Washington D.C."

"In this Olympic year, we urge China to seize the opportunity to put its best face forward and take steps to improve its record on human rights and religious freedom," she said.

Amnesty International condemned the sentence, saying it "betrays promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics."

"This verdict is a slap in the face for Hu Jia and a warning to any other activists in China who dare to raise human rights concerns publicly," Amnesty's Mark Allison said.

Premier Wen Jiabao avoided mentioning Hu by name when questioned about the case in a news conference last month and denied that Beijing was rounding up government critics ahead of the Olympics.

"China is a country ruled by law, and all these issues will be dealt with in accordance with law," Wen said. "As far as the critics' view that China is trying to arrest dissidents before the Olympics, there is no such issue at all."

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