Chinese justice sentenced billionaire businessman critical of Xi Jinping’s regime to 18 years in prison

A Chinese court sentenced the agricultural mogul on Wednesday Sun Dawu a 18 years in prison for a series of crimes, including “causing trouble”, after the billionaire and defender of citizens’ rights was secretly tried.

The Gaobeidian court near Beijing noted that Sun had been convicted of crimes such as “Gathering a mob to attack state organs”, “obstruct government administration” and “provoke fighting and trouble”, a general term often used against dissidents and union activists.

The president of the Dawu Agricultural Group was one of 20 defendants who were tried after company employees tried to stop a state-owned company from demolishing a company building in August 2020.

The sun was also fine of 3.1 million yuan ($ 480,000)Gaobeidian People’s Court said in a statement. The court said other defendants had been found guilty and sentenced, but did not provide details.

Sun became known nationally in 2003 when he was charged with illegal fundraising after soliciting investments for his business from friends and neighbors. The case sparked an avalanche of public support for Sun.

Since, Sun praised the lawyers helping the public at a time when prominent legal figures were jailed by Xi Jinping’s regime.. Sun’s lawyer in the 2003 case, Xu Zhiyong, disappeared in February 2020. His fellow activists say he was charged with treason.

Sun and the other defendants are “generally in poor health” after months of detention, according to a statement. Two of them left court on Thursday for treatment.

The trial was officially open to the public, but Only one spectator from the family of each defendant and 10 from the company was allowed to attend due to restrictions against the coronavirus, the statement said.

(With information from AFP and AP)

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