Chinese Court Cuts 9 Months from Scholar's Prison Term

中国法庭将学者刑期减少九个月

A Chinese rights group says a court in southern China has reduced by nine months the prison term of a Hong Kong scholar who was jailed on spying charges. Xu Zerong was convicted in 2001 of passing on state secrets and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was among several other academics with foreign connections who were arrested during that time on spying charges.

The U.S.-based Dui Hua Foundation said Tuesday that a court in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou approved the sentence reduction, which would allow Xu to be released in September, 2012. Human rights groups and academics have petitioned China's government to release Xu.

一个关注中国人权的团体说，中国南部一家法庭为一名因间谍指控被判刑的香港学者减刑9个月。徐泽荣2001年因泄露国家机密的罪名被判刑13年。徐泽荣是当时几位因有国外关系而以间谍指控被逮捕的学者之一。

总部设在美国的对话基金会星期二说，广州一家法庭批准了减刑的决定，允许徐泽荣2012年9月获释。人权组织和学者一直在呼吁中国政府释放徐泽荣。