from nytimes.com
New York Times researcher Zhao Yan, accused of leaking state secrets to the paper, saw the charges against him unexpectedly dropped today — but was sentenced to three years in prison on an unrelated, less serious fraud charge. The NYT says that the dismissal of the case saved Zhao a ten-year sentence and "served as a blunt rebuke to the investigation by state security agents." Zhao has been in prison since September 2004, but his time spent behind bars will count toward this sentence, which makes his release date Sept. 15, 2007. His legal team are considering an appeal of the fraud charge. The NYT has more on the case and false imprisonment and the how the Chinese Communist Party is using the legal system to undermine human rights abuses, as well as the dangers of being a journalist in that country.
