Chinese human right lawyer sentences to 12 years plus millions fine / 觸怒當權者 中國維權律師判重刑加重罰　　　　　　　　　　

In China, yet another human rights lawyer was sentenced to 12 years in prison plus a fine of 230 million NT dollars by a Beijing middle court. This is China's renowned human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, who was convicted of several crimes and revoked of his license for defending high profile political dissidents including Ai Weiwei and Tan Zuoren. And the lawyer prosecuted this time, Xia Lin, was known as Pu's defense lawyer. Xia was taken from his home by Chinese authorities in November 2014 while defending Hong Kong dissident Guo Yushan Yet he wasn't trailed until a year and a half later in June this year. He was accused and convicted of defrauding his supposed victims for up to 100 million RMB. Xia's wife, Lin Ru, who was kept from visiting her husband after he was arrested two years ago until his appearance in court yesterday, said they would certainly appeal. According to Lin, Xia was in good condition but was apparently angered by the sentence. She believed Xia to be a victim of Beijing's vengeful crackdown on the country's human rights movement. Meanwhile, reporters from Reuters covering this story were reported to have been harassed by China's public security officers, who attempted to disrupt their news gathering activities outside the Beijing court. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG 畫面上是中國另一位著名的維權律師浦志強。他因為以律師身份為異議人士艾未未、譚作人等辯護，而遭中國政府羅織罪名判刑，並遭吊銷律師執照。而小他5歲的夏霖，就是浦志強受審時的辯護律師。 2014年11月，聲援香港佔中運動的異議人士郭玉閃，遭中國當局拘留，身為代表律師的夏霖，也從家中被帶走，並且過了1年半、到今年6月才開始出庭受審。罪名是詐騙他人金錢達1000萬人民幣。夏霖的妻子林茹，在夏霖被捕後大約兩年，才在22號的一審宣判日，第一次見到夏霖。 林茹還強調，夏霖在法庭上看來精神還可以，但聆判後顯得相當憤怒。林茹認為這是中國政府，為了打壓維權人事所做出的報復性判決。同時在法院外，路透社記者在採訪拍攝過程中，不斷受到北京公安的騷擾，警員一度拍打攝影機，試圖趕走他們。 記者 徐家仁 報導