Brussels, 20/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 17 April, the European Union criticised China's sentencing the same day of journalist Gao Yu to seven years in prison, “despite the serious doubts that have been raised about the legal procedure”.
The sentence “highlights the situation faced by a number of Chinese human rights defenders, including journalists and bloggers, who have been prosecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression”, said the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in a press release. “We call for the immediate review of Ms Gao Yu's case, in line with international standards, as well as other cases of individuals who have been prosecuted for the peaceful expression of their views or their calls for more transparency”, Mogherini's spokesperson added.
Gao Yu, 71, has already been in prison twice, and is accused of divulging state secrets. She sent dissident media a Chinese Communist party directive on curbing civil society. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)