02 August 2016•Update: 02 August 2016
By Mahmut Atanur
BEIJING
A Chinese court has handed a suspended sentenced to an activist arrested during a crackdown last year.
State-run China Daily reported that Zhai Yanmin, 55, was sentenced to three years in prison with a four-year reprieve Tuesday over attempts to “subvert State power”.
The Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court found him guilty of “subversion, damaging national security and social stability” due to statements and comments he had posted online since 2012.
He was also accused of organizing “several protests to disturb public order”.
Zhai was among hundreds of activists, rights lawyers and aides taken into custody under a campaign launched July 9, 2015 -- which the Hong Kong-based China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group said has affected at least 319 people in 24 mainland provinces.
Of them, at least 24 were formally charged with “subverting state powers, inciting subversion of state powers, and inciting provocation”, according to the South China Morning Post.
The Daily reported Tuesday that Zhai -- who said he would not appeal -- was granted a lighter sentence as he had pleaded guilty and cooperated with judicial organs following his arrest.
