BEIJING: A Chinese court on Friday convicted a 71-year-old journalist of leaking state secrets and jailed her for seven years, it said, with rights groups condemning the “arbitrary” verdict as a “blow to free expression”.

Gao Yu — named one of the International Press Institute’s 50 “world press heroes” in 2000 — “illegally provided state secrets to foreigners”, Beijing’s No. 3 Intermediate People’s Court said on a verified social media account.

The ruling said that Gao had leaked a 2013 directive by the ruling Communist party named “Document number 9” to a Hong Kong media outlet.

The document warns of the “dangers” of multiparty democracy, independent media, “universal” definitions of human rights, and criticism of the party’s historical record, according to copies widely circulated online.

“We are very disappointed with this verdict,” said Shang Baojun, one of her lawyers, who argued in court that a “confession” from Gao had been extracted after threats were made against her son.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

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