According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), he was arrested in August 2015 as part of the '709 crackdown,' in which over 300 lawyers, human rights defenders, and their colleagues and family members were detained, interrogated or
imprisoned and has already spent three years in detention.
Wang has reportedly been charged with 'subversion of state power.'
CSW says for just under three and a half years following his arrest, Wang was detained incommunicado, with no information made public about his current status or well-being, or even if he was dead or alive.
The organisation says on 26 December 2018 he was put on trial, but his wife Li Wenzu was prevented from attending, as were other activists, journalists and diplomats.
CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: "CSW condemns the sentencing of lawyer Wang Quanzhang in the strongest terms and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Nobody should be imprisoned for defending human rights, the
detention of Wang Quanzhang is entirely arbitrary and a violation of international law."
Wang's sentencing comes amid a severe deterioration in China's human rights situation which has taken place under President Xi Jinping.
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