RNS: A Chinese blogger received a sentence of eight months in prison on Monday after being convicted of “defaming heroes and martyrs.” He raised concerns about China’s casualties after an altercation on the border with India at Galwan valley last year.
The Nanjing Jianye People’s Court also ordered Chou Ziming (38) to make public appeals for his crimes on major internet platforms and national media outlets within ten days in addition to his prison term.
According to the media reports, Ziming is the first person to be convicted in a new charge; this new law was passed by mainland authorities in March this year. He has more than 2.5 million followers on his Sina Weibo Microblog account.
While writing two messages on his Sina Weibo account on February 19, the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily claimed, citing the judges, that Ziming “smeared” the Chinese soldiers on the border and “twisted their heroic deeds.”
His messages spread quickly, damaging society, according to the report. As per the reports, Ziming was arrested by Nanjing police on 1 March this year, and authorities posted a video online showing the blogger admitting to his offense on the same day. He said in the video: “I feel very guilty about the inhumane act I committed. I deeply regret it.”
Media reports said that Ziming, a former journalist who has done his master’s degree in law, wrote in his blog in February that the Chinese army must have suffered heavier casualties in the border clash last June than the four deaths announced by the authorities, Chinese media reported.
(CT: Agency feeds & Media reports)
