China Won't Release U.S.-Based Dissident

Stephanie Hoo

BEIJING - China insisted Sunday its jailing of U.S.-based Chinese activist Yang Jianli is in line with Chinese law and rejected appeals by American lawmakers for his release.

Yang, who runs a Boston-based foundation that advocates democratic change in China, was meeting with Chinese dissidents and laid-off workers when he was detained in 2002. He was sentenced in May to five years in prison.

A letter signed by 21 U.S. senators and 85 members of the House of Representatives calls on China to parole Yang when he becomes eligible Oct. 26, saying he was initially denied access to lawyers in violation of international law.

"Yang Jianli has been sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of espionage and illegal border crossing by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The verdict is based on clear facts with true and ample evidence, and the application of the law is correct," it said. "Chinese judicial organs will continue to handle this case according to law."

The letter was delivered Wednesday to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Jared Genser, a lawyer for Yang's family.

The Chinese government statement gave no indication whether Yang would be eligible for parole. Beijing has previously rejected U.S. protests as "interference in the judicial process of China."

Yang's family denies the spying accusations but acknowledges that he was traveling with a friend's identity card. His family says he was forced to do so because he was banned from China after helping student protesters during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.

--------------------------
Source: "AP".