China jails man who urged rights over Olympics

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese dissident Yang Chunlin, who called for human rights to take precedence over the Olympic Games, has been sentenced to five years in jail on charges of inciting subversion, his family and lawyer said on Monday.

The unemployed factory worker from the northeastern city of Jiamusi in Heilongjiang province went on trial in February after he helped nearby villagers issue a petition about disputed land last year that declared, "We don't want the Olympics, we want human rights."

The petition touched a nerve in the Communist-run country, which has been going all out to prepare for the Games that start in Beijing on Aug. 8. The leadership hopes they will showcase the country's economic prosperity and social unity.

Prosecutors had said the petition stained China's international image and amounted to subversion.

Yang's son, Yang Zhuo, said his father was unlikely to appeal.

"He said he wasn't preparing to appeal the verdict because he said Chinese courts lacked legitimacy, and so appealing the verdict would be futile," the son said.

Lawyer Li Fangping confirmed the sentence but said Yang Chunlin maintained his innocence.

"After the official verdict is given to us, he'll have 10 days to decide what to do. So, we hope we can sit down with him so he can make a serious decision whether to appeal or not," the lawyer said.

Li previously had said the charge of inciting subversion was also provoked by essays critical of the ruling Communist Party which the senior Yang posted on the Internet.

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