His lawyers said he could have faced eight years in prison but activists said the milder sentence passed down would still serve as a message to other rights lawyers that the Communist Party, now engaged in a severe clampdown on dissent, would allow no challenge to its rule. He later become one of the best-known lawyers in China for defending human rights in courts as well as in the media. Pu said she was either truly dumb or played dumb.
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The court on Tuesday said Pu Zhiqiang was guilty of provoking troubles and inciting ethnic hatred, and sentenced him to three years in prison but also announced that the sentence will be suspended for three years.
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“CHRD urges the worldwide community to push for Pu Zhiqiang’s unconditional freedom and end China’s ongoing persecution of human rights lawyers”, the group said in a statement on its website.
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The lawyer regretted that Pu’s guilty verdict “can only be interpreted as a trend, in which, the [state’s] control over speech has worsened”. But Mr Mo, the defence attorney, said that Pu, while conceding he had made mistakes, had not admitted guilt. “He will tell them face to face when time is right”. But he accepted the verdict Tuesday and indicated he would not appeal, Xinhua said. “Under the suspended sentence, he finally can get out”, said supporter Ren Jianyu.
Pu, 49, was detained in May 2014 and formally arrested the following month after attending a low-key seminar in a private home to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Pu Zhiqiang has been found guilty of “inciting ethnic hatred” and “picking quarrels” on his social media posts.
Ren Jianyu, a former lower level official who was represented by Mr Pu after he was sent to a hard labour camp for criticising authorities, said the sentence was unjust.
Police set up cordons 200 meters (650 feet) away from the court and officers were out in force, with both uniformed and those in civilian dress often clashing with activists and journalists that were there to cover the verdict. It seeped into the US presidential campaign as Sen. There were short scuffles with all law enforcement in a repeat of scenes seen during Mr Pu’s one day trial.
The Chinese government has long controlled major media outlets in the country, and has tried controlling social media as well.
“The disgraceful police operation outside Pu Zhiqiang’s trial only underscores why China needs defenders of free speech like Pu more than ever”.
The U.S. has called the charges against Pu vague, and called for his release.
However, the court’s verdict said Pu’s tweets on Xinjiang had “provoked strong ethnic hatred and confrontational feelings” among internet users.
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“But that’s alright – if there’s no justice, I’ll sit in jail with Pu Zhiqiang”. “Apart from this, any sentence is an act of political persecution, and any sentence is a stain on the law”.
