China tightens legal noose around internet dissidents
Chinese dissidents are facing a fresh crackdown from the ruling Communist party after the government announced fresh measures to introduce lengthy jail terms for those convicted of spreading online rumours or provoking unrest.
The new laws are targeted against micro-bloggers in an effort to dissuade them from disseminating ‘false information’ or ‘slanderous comments’ by threatening prison terms of up to three years.
Those found guilty of fermenting ‘serious public disorder’ face even more onerous sentences of up to 10 years behind bars, according to the state-run China Daily.
In an effort to quantify such measures China’s Xinhua news agency warned charges would be brought against anyone posting ‘defamatory’ comments viewed by 5,000 people or more or which were re-tweeted at least 500 times.