Prominent Chinese activist released
Friday, June 24, 2011
BEIJING (AP) -- The wife of a prominent Chinese dissident who was jailed for sedition more than three years ago says her husband has been released.
Zeng Jinyan said Sunday that her husband, Hu Jia, has returned to his home in Beijing.
A major figure in China's dissident community, Hu was active in a broad range of civil liberties issues before he was imprisoned. His 3 1/2-year jail term was set to end Sunday.
His release comes amid one of the Chinese government's broadest campaigns of repression in years as Beijing has moved to prevent the growth of an Arab-style protest movement.
Hu, 37, is known for his activism with AIDS patients. The sedition charge stems from police accusations that he planned to work with foreigners to disturb the 2008 Olympics.
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