Chinese Poet Zhu Yufu Sentenced to 7 Years

In Hangzhou, Chinese activist Zhu Yufu was sentenced to seven years of prison. The court charged him with inciting state subversion, for his poem called “It’s Time”.

Zhu's son and wife were present at the trial. According to Zhu’s son, “The court verdict said this was a serious crime that deserved stern punishment.”

Prosecutors argued that Zhu’s poem, posted online, was a call for mobilizing dissent in the name of democracy.

The 59-year-old veteran dissident has been jailed twice before for his activism, in 1999 and 2007.

Zhu has stated he will file for an appeal.

Zhu’s case is the latest in a string of harsh sentences against dissidents, ahead of the upcoming Chinese regime’s leadership handover.