A leading Chinese human rights activist who organised rallies for media freedom has been sentenced to six years in prison in what his lawyer described as a hurried and unfair trial.

Li Jinxing said a district court in the city of Guangzhou found Yang Maodong - better known by his pen name Guo Feixiong - guilty of disturbing public order.

It also convicted him of provoking troubles - a charge Mr Li said was announced minutes before the trial.

The lawyer said the additional charge was illegal and added to the heavy prison sentence.

Yang helped organise demonstrations and spoke in support of the editorial staff at the newspaper Southern Weekly in Guangzhou in January 2013, after its journalists complained of censorship.

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