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In a tense and oppressive trial on Monday, prominent rights defense lawyer Xie Yang received his verdict after more than four years of secret detention and legal struggle.
The Changsha Intermediate People’s Court announced in court on March 23 that Xie Yang was sentenced to five years in prison for his legal rights defense activities. According to informed sources present at the trial, Xie Yang immediately expressed his refusal to accept the judgment after it was read and filed an appeal on the spot. Although legal procedures are still ongoing, observers note that this sentence may mean he will have to spend the remainder of his term entirely in detention.
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An informed source said pessimistically after the verdict: “Xie Yang has been sentenced to five years; it looks like he will have to serve the full term in the detention center.” Such sentiment is not uncommon in China’s legal aid community. In recent years, suppression of human rights lawyers in China has shown signs of becoming normalized, and prolonged pre-trial detention is often viewed by critics as a disguised form of advanced punishment.
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