After a closed trial lasting five months, nine prisoners of conscience have been sentenced to some of the harshest prison terms passed against political dissenters for several years. In addition, each of them received an additional term of deprivation of political rights. Five defendants were not sentenced, which does not mean that the charges against them have been dropped. Li Quanli has been put under “supervision” for two years. This was the largest group of prisoners of conscience to be jointly tried in many years and the first major political trial since 1991.
