Now that Olympics are over...China imprisons dissident for ELEVEN YEARS

[Bluebear]

BEIJING – China sentenced the co-author of a daring call for reform to an unprecedented 11 years in prison Friday in what rights groups called a direct slap at international pressure — and a warning that the treatment for dissidents will be increasingly harsh.

Diplomats from more than a dozen countries were shut out of Liu Xiaobo's trial on subversion charges, and the United States called for his immediate release.

Liu, a 53-year-old literary critic, co-wrote an unusually direct appeal called Charter 08, asking for increased freedoms in China and the end to the Communist Party's dominance. More than 300 people, including some of the country's top intellectuals, signed it before it was made public.

Liu was detained a year ago, a day before Charter 08 was released. His verdict came after a two-hour, closed-door trial Wednesday in which prosecutors accused him of "serious" crimes. China calls the case an internal affair.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091225/ap_on_re_as/as_china_dissident_sentence