Taiwan-based publisher sentenced to three years for inciting secession

The chief editor of Taiwan-based Gusa Publishing was sentenced to three years in prison for inciting secession, a mainland spokesman announced on Wednesday.

The Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court publicly issued the first-instance verdict on Feb 17, sentencing Li Yanhe to three years in prison, with one year of political rights deprivation and a fine of 50,000 yuan ($7,000).

Li's family members had been informed of the sentence. Authorities will ensure the legal rights of Li and his family are protected during the sentence, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said during a news briefing in Beijing.

"The proceedings were open and fair in accordance with the law. The defendant pleaded guilty in court, and no appeal was filed within the statutory period. The judgment has taken effect," Chen said.

He accused Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party of "deliberately smearing" the mainland's judicial system by repeatedly hyping the case.