Beijing - A court in China has handed down the first sentences to activists from the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, Conor O'Clery writes from Beijing. The longest sentence of 12 years was meted out by the Intermediate People's Court in Haikou, capital of the southern island province of Hainan, to Mr Song Yuesheng, described by the official Xinhua news agency as an "organiser, schemer and commander" of Falun Gong in Hainan.
Mr Song was convicted of mounting 13 illegal protests in Hainan between July 22nd and September 9th. One on August 8th attracted more than 180 adherents, causing "grave consequences", Xinhua said without giving details. The court also found Mr Song guilty of escaping from police custody in August.