China quake activist jailed
A Chinese activist who tried to document the poor construction of buildings that collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake has been sentenced to five years in jail.
Tan Zuoren has been convicted of trying to subvert state power.
The activist drew attention to the role which shoddy construction played in the collapse of buildings during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
More than 80,000 people died during the quake, including many school children.
But Tan's sentence is unrelated. He has been jailed for writing about the crackdown around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
His family and supporters were denied access to the court, and say he is being incarcerated because he was preparing a report on the collapsed buildings.
Tan's lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, says he plans to appeal.
A Chinese activist who tried to document the poor construction of buildings that collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake has been sentenced to five years in jail.
Tan Zuoren has been convicted of trying to subvert state power.
The activist drew attention to the role which shoddy construction played in the collapse of buildings during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
More than 80,000 people died during the quake, including many school children.
But Tan's sentence is unrelated. He has been jailed for writing about the crackdown around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
His family and supporters were denied access to the court, and say he is being incarcerated because he was preparing a report on the collapsed buildings.
Tan's lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, says he plans to appeal.
