China jails man who urged rights over Olympics

A mother and her child watch Chinese soldiers in riot gear walk past an advertisement for a Chinese phone company bearing the Beijing Olympics logo in the main square of the city of Kangding, located around 250 miles west of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, March 24, 2008.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese dissident Yang Chunlin, who called for human rights to take precedence over the Olympic Games, has been sentenced to five years in jail on charges of inciting subversion, his family and lawyer said on Monday.

The unemployed factory worker from the northeastern city of Jiamusi in Heilongjiang province went on trial in February after he helped nearby villagers issue a petition about disputed land last year that declared: "We don't want the Olympics, we want human rights."

Yang's sister, Yang Chunping, said on Monday the reason he was jailed was because of essays he posted online that were critical of China's parliament, the ruling Communist Party and Communism in general.

"He said he's not guilty, and he was just exercising his freedom of speech and publication. But because courts lack legitimacy he said there was no use in appealing," she said.

Lawyer Li Fangping confirmed the sentence but said Yang Chunlin maintained his innocence.

"He believes that he's innocent," Li said. "After the official verdict is given to us, he'll have 10 days to decide what to do. So, we hope we can sit down with him so he can make a serious decision whether to appeal or not."

The petition touched a nerve in the Communist-run country that has been going all out to prepare for the Games. China's leadership is hoping the Games, which start in Beijing on August 8 will showcase the country's economic prosperity and social unity.

Prosecutors had said the petition stained China's international image and amounted to subversion.

During a visit to Beijing by British Foreign Secretary David Milibank in late February, China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi defended China's rights record.

"People in China enjoy extensive freedom of speech," Yang told reporters. "No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics. This is impossible.

"Ask 10 people from the street to face public security officers and ask them to say 'human rights are more important than the Olympics' 10 times or even 100 times, and I will see which security officer would put him in jail."

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Writing by John Ruwitch; Editing by Ken Wills and Bill Tarrant)