By SPA
Washington : The United States said Thursday it was “disappointed” by the prison term imposed on Chinese activist Hu Jia, saying his activities were legitimate under Chinese law.
“We certainly, in that particular case, have raised our concerns about it and are disappointed to see the results that are taking place,” State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.
“It is disturbing for us to see that in this case, someone who has been making efforts to engage in discussions of some legitimate political issues in the Chinese system has not only been not permitted to do so but has in fact been put on trial and, as we understand, now sentenced for those efforts,” Casey said.
Casey did not call for the release of Hu, who received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence Thursday for “subversion of power,” based on articles he published online.