Date: 19-Jul-09
Country: CHINA
Author: Ben Blanchard
BEIJING - A Chinese environmental activist and his daughter have been jailed for leaking state secrets and endangering national security related to a uranium mine, a human rights group said.
Sun Xiaodi worked at a uranium mine in the remote northwestern province of Gansu, and has campaigned against nuclear contamination and for labor rights for years, Human Rights in China said in a statement.
But he has now been sentenced to two years of "re-education through labor." His daughter, Sun Dunbai, was given 1- years.
Human Rights in China said Xiaodi was found guilty of stealing information related to the mine and giving it to his daughter to supply to foreign organizations.
"If the authorities have evidence that Sun Xiaodi and his daughter endangered state security, they should present it in an open and fair trial," said Sharon Hom, executive director of HRIC.
"Instead, they chose re-education through labor -- a non-transparent process of administrative punishment lacking procedural protections -- raising strong suspicions about their handling of these cases."
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