China: 9-month sentence for protester

BEIJING, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A 56-year-old woman who'd protested in support of three bloggers in China last year was sentenced to nine months in prison Friday in eastern Fujian Province.

The sentence against Wang Lihong, a retired businesswoman, was for obstructing traffic and "stirring up trouble," the Los Angeles Times reported, noting it as a test case for freedom of expression in China.

The report said the three bloggers, whom Wang supported, were charged with defamation after they tried to help a mother investigate her daughter's death, the Times said.

Dissident artist Ai Weiwei, speaking for Wang, said: "If you have a mother, if you are a woman, if you are an ordinary person, if you don't want to be forced to disappear or face false accusation, please pay attention to Wang Lihong," the report said.