China reduces sentence of journalist to 5 years

The lawyer for an imprisoned 71-year-old Chinese journalist says her sentence has been reduced to five years from seven following an appeal. Gao Yu appealed her April conviction for leaking state secrets on Tuesday at Beijing's high court.

Anti-Beijing protesters hold pictures of jailed Chinese journalist Gao Yu in Hong Kong on April 17, 2015.

 Her lawyer Shang Baojun said the court announced on Thursday that her sentence would be reduced.

Gao was convicted of sharing with an overseas news magazine a document detailing the Communist Party leadership's resolve to aggressively target constitutionality, press freedoms and groups that seek to change society but operate outside the party.


Foreign governments and human rights groups have denounced the verdict again Gao as politically driven and urged authorities to release the elderly journalist, who is in poor health with heart problems.