Chinese journalist jailed for 15 years for attacking Communist Party

Chen Jieren, who once worked for party mouthpiece People’s Daily, found guilty of publishing false information on blogs and social media ‘under the guise of providing legal advice’, court says

Chinese Human Rights Defenders says conviction was ‘apparently to punish him for his political speech’

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Chinese journalist Chen Jieren was sentenced to 15 years in prison at a court in Hunan province. Photo: Weibo

Published: 3:17pm, 1 May 2020Updated: 3:17pm, 1 May 2020

A journalist who worked for some of China’s most powerful state newspapers has been jailed for 15 years after being accused of attacking the ruling Communist Party, according to court documents.

Chen Jieren was convicted on Thursday of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble, extortion, illegal business operations and bribery”, a court in central Hunan province said in an online statement.

The charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” is a catch-all that Chinese authorities often use against people who criticise the regime.

The verdict against Chen comes as China’s leadership faces international scrutiny over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with questions over whether authorities covered up crucial information that could have prevented it from spreading across the globe.

Chen, who once worked for People’s Daily, the party’s main mouthpiece, was found guilty of posting false and negative information online, the statement said.

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