JURIST - Paper Chase: China sentences teacher to 10 years for subversion, releases NYT researcher

[JURIST] China's practice of "internet management" [Knight Ridder report] continued Friday with a 10-year sentence for Ren Ziyaun, a teacher found guilty of "subversion of state power" after posting "The Road to Democracy" and other essays on the Internet. According to Human Rights in China [advocacy website], the article asserted the right of the people to violently overthrow tyranny [press release]. In related news, charges against New York Times Beijing Bureau researcher Zhao Yan, put on trial in China [JURIST report] for allegedly revealing state secrets and committing fraud, were dropped [Reuters report] Friday. Zhao's detention was expected to tarnish the upcoming US visit from Chinese President Hu Jintao.

China's crackdown on dissidents has accelerated in recent months with an increase in arrests of intellectuals and writers posting on the Internet. Earlier this week HRIC announced the formal indictment of Li Jianping [press release], a participant in the 1989 Democracy Movement who was detained after officials conducted an "Internet security inspection" on his computer, for "incitement to subvert state power." Jianping had posted articles on overseas websites. Several US Internet companies have also recently come under criticism [JURIST report] for their role in Chinese censorship. Reuters has more.

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