The story

An outspoken Chinese civil rights activist who dedicated himself to chronicling the plight of other dissidents was given 3 1/2 years in jail Thursday, his lawyer said.

Lawyer Li Fangping said that Hu Jia has 10 days to appeal the sentence, but that a decision on an appeal has not yet been made.

Hu, 34, had pleaded not guilty on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" at his trial last month. Li said then that he expected a 5-year sentence to be handed down. Read full article »

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