Lu Jianhua in happier days

politics - Sociologist jailed for 20 years

In a rather stunning verdict by a Beijing court the sociologist Lu Jianhua has been sentenced to a jail sentence of 20 years, western media reports. Lu was working for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and was convicted after a 90-minutes trial behind closed doors.
Lu is said to have leaked state secrets and his case seems to be connected to that of the Hong-Kong based reporter Ching Cheong, working for the Strait Times, who got a jail sentence of five years on similar charges.
Human rights groups have condemned the sentence and said "the heavy sentence is an obvious sign China's political environment has seriously worsened". I would turn it around: a jail sentence of 20 years is out of proportion, also in now-a-days China.

Update: Shanghaiist gives more background on Lu Jianhua. They rightfully fear the sociologist might not get the same play in the media as his journalistic friend. (We included a picture from Shanghaiist of Mr. Lu. Always good to see a face going along with it.) From the story we conclude he might be a victim of the now-defunct Shanghai faction, assisting President Hu Jintao in setting out his policies. Still a dangerous business, although the Shanghai faction has lost its momentum.