19 June 2014 Last updated at 00:04 ET
New Citizens’ Movement calls for more openness from the government
Three Chinese anti-corruption activists have been given lengthy jail terms for urging officials to disclose wealth.
Wei Zhongping and Liu Ping, associated with the New Citizens’ Movement, were given six-and-a-half years in jail. A third activist, Li Sihua, received a shorter sentence.
Rights group Amnesty International said the charges were “preposterous”.
China’s leaders are running a crackdown on corruption, but refuse to tolerate grassroots groups with similar aims.
The three activists were detained after taking photographs with banners urging officials to disclose their assets.
They were put on trial in a high-security court in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, late last year.
At the time, defence lawyers complained of serious procedural problems and said they were not confident of the outcome.
