Yahoo cited in jailing of Chinese internet writer

BEIJING - Yahoo Inc has been cited in a Chinese court decision to jail a dissident internet writer for 10 years for subversion in 2003 -- the fourth case to surface implicating the US internet giant.

Wang Xiaoning, born in 1951, was convicted of the charge of "incitement to subvert state power", the New York-based watchdog Human Rights in China (HRIC) said.

Evidence cited in the verdict included "information provided by Yahoo Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd stating that Wang's "aaabbbccc" Yahoo Group was set up using the mainland China-based email address bxoguhyahoo.com.cn.", HRIC said.

Yahoo Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd. also confirmed that the email address ahgqyahoo.com.cn, through which Wang sent messages to his Yahoo Group, was a China-based account, it said.

But the verdict did not indicate whether Yahoo Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd. or Yahoo China -- which is now operated by mainland China-based Alibaba.com -- provided specific information regarding Wang's identity, the watchdog said.

Yahoo and Chinese authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Yahoo has defended itself in the past, saying it had to abide by local laws.

Wang's journals, called Democratic Reform Free Forum and Current Political Commentary, included essays written by Wang under his real and pen names and by others advocating democratic reform and a multi-party system, HRIC said.

The Communist Party, which has monopolised politics in China since sweeping to power in the 1949 revolution, deems any calls for multi-party politics as subversive.

The verdict stated that following a search of Wang's home on September 1, 2002, police found the offending essays in his personal computer files, as well as records of his email traffic, it said.

The prosecution's evidence also included statements by two witnesses who had communicated with Wang by email after reading his essays in email or on websites, HRIC said.

- REUTERS