(ANSA) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 22 - A Beijing court has sentenced a former Chinese real estate tycoon who had criticized President XiJinping's handling of the coronavirus pandemic to 18 years in prison, on charges of corruption.
According to international media reports, the exmagnate - Ren Zhiqiang - will also have to pay a fine of 4.2 million yuan (about 527 thousand euros).
The court found Ren "guilty of bribery, extortion and embezzlement of public funds," reports the state-owned Global Times newspaper.
The man had disappeared last March shortly after writing a critical article on the management of the pandemic in the country and although the article never mentioned Xi, many in Beijing were convinced that Ren's goal was precisely the president.
According to the court, Ren accepted bribes of 1.25 million yuan and embezzled about 50 million yuan.
The Chinese government is often accused by groups of activists of using the weapon of corruption against its critics to suppress dissent.
(HANDLE).