China journalist sentenced to 15 years in prison for "bashing" the party

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A Chinese journalist, who according to justice had "disparaged" the ruling Communist Party and the government, was sentenced to a heavy sentence of fifteen years in prison.

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This Thursday, April 30, blogger Chen Jieren, former employee of the very official People's Daily , was sentenced to fifteen years in prison by the People's Court of Guiyang County, in central Hunan province, the court announced in a press release posted online. The journalist was sentenced to "  for the crime of provocation, extortion, illegal trade and corruption  ", according to the court, which also fined him 7 million yuan (nearly one million euros).

"  False information  "

In its pleadings, the court declares that since 2015, the condemned had diffused on the social networks of “  false information  ” with an aim of extracting by the blackmail of the funds to people implicated in its articles. He also "  attacked and disparaged the Party and the government, the judiciary and their staff,  " the court said.

In a statement, the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) association called on Beijing to immediately release the journalist. According to the association, Chen Jieren was arrested in the summer of 2018 with several of his relatives shortly after having published articles on his site accusing local officials of corruption .

A "  clear warning  "

According to the source, the journalist had previously worked at Youth Daily , the Beijing Daily and People's Daily , the organ of the ruling party. So many publications from which he was referred for articles critical of the regime. "  The heavy penalty imposed on Mr. Chen sends a clear warning to independent bloggers and citizen journalists  ," commented CHRD. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), China ranks 177th out of 180 in the world for press freedom .

( with AFP )

Read also: Hong Kong: Arrest of pro-democracy press magnate Jimmy Lai

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