On the morning of June 15, 2006, Longhui County Court of Hunan Province sentenced Yang Xiaoqing, a reporter for China Industrial Economy News, to one year in prison. Mr. Yang immediately filed for an appeal.
Mr. Yang had been held in custody since January 2006 for exposing the corruption of local officials. He was subsequently accused of involvement in blackmail by the Chinese Communist Party, with a court hearing set for May 16, 2006.
Mr. Yang’s wife, Gong Jie, explained during an interview with The Epoch Times that they are not protesting to shorten the prison term. “Even if Mr. Yang were sentenced to only one day in prison, it would mean that he was found guilty. Hence, our main concern is to ask for a fair trial to restore his reputation. Mr. Yang is an innocent and honest reporter who is being retaliated against for exposing the corruption of Longhui County officials of Hunan Province. We are determined to file an appeal to the higher court. And if that doesn’t work, we will continue on to the Central court.”
Mr. Yang’s defense attorney, Mr. Zhang Xingshui, expressed his disappointment in the outcome of the trial. He believes that the government’s accusation of Mr. Yang’s involvement in blackmail is fabricated. The little evidence the prosecutor provided lacked objectivity, authenticity or connection to the case. Moreover, the pieces of evidence failed to present a logical description of the crime. According to the law, the claims made by the prosecutor are invalid.
