Chinese poet jailed for contract fraud

A DISSIDENT Chinese poet has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for contract fraud, his lawyer says.

Li Bifeng, 48 - who was previously jailed for five years for involvement in the Tiananmen Square democracy movement - was sentenced at Shehong County Court in Sichuan province on Monday, said lawyer Zhao Jianwei.

He said the defence would appeal.

"We believe the verdict was not based on the facts and the prosecutors and the court violated procedural laws and regulations."

Li's friend - exiled dissident Liao Yiwu - said Li was targeted because he was suspected of financing Liao's escape from the country last year. Liao said those suspicions were false.

Earlier this year Liao launched an international appeal from Germany calling for Li's release. Nobel Prize for Literature winner Herta Muller and Ha Jin, winner of the US National Book Award, were among those who joined the appeal.

Li's wife said Monday's verdict was untenable.

Zhan Xia said the charge related to a sales agreement her husband had signed with an alcohol company to help sell apartments on southern Hainan island.

"After the apartments were sold, the company sued him for contract fraud, which is groundless," she said.

"His being on trial must be related to his alleged help of Liao because the economic charge against him can't be proven," she said.

Zhan said she had only seen her husband once since he was detained in September 2011 and that was at his trial in July.

"He wasn't in good mental health and was suffering from high blood pressure," she said.

A man from Shehong County's prosecutor's office said he knew nothing about the case. Calls to Shehong Public Security Bureau rang unanswered.

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