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Internet rumormonger gets 3-year jail term
各部门加大打击网络谣言
Beijing's Chaoyang Discrict People's Court has announced the sentence in the trial of Qin Zhihui, an employee of a Beijing-based online marketing company on Thursday. Qin is accused of fabricating rumors for financial gain, and pleaded guilty at the opening day of his trial one week ago.
Convicted. Qin Zhihui, a popular microblogger received his sentence on Thursday.
"The court believed that Qin Zhihui made up stories and personal attacks on public figures, and caused disturbances to public order by spreading false information about some events in the country. The combined punishment for convictions of defamation and affray, is 3 year in prison." Beijing Chaoyang District People’s Court presiding judge said.
Qin said at court that he would not appeal. Qin’s lawyer argued that Qin was unaware the information he spread were rumors, but Qin made his apologies during the first day at trial.
"I have nothing to say to defend myself. My behavior was illegal. I misled public opinions on celebrities and government departments. I ignored the law and morality". Qin said.
31-year-old Qin, a Weibo celebrity, had a dozen separate Weibo accounts, the court says he had made over 3,000 libelous posting, which were shared thousands of times by his followers and his followers’ followers. One of his postings claimed that the family of an Italian killed in a train crash in 2011 had received far more compensation than Chinese victims. It provoked public anger towards rail authorities.
"I just wanted people to see what I had posted and make netizens discuss them, I made those postings without checking the information." Qin said.
Qin was arrested by Beijing police last year during a campaign to stop web rumors. He’s the first person to be brought to justice under the latest judicial interpretations of online rumour spreading, which define such crimes.
