A Chinese man has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail for organizing on behalf of parents whose children died or were sickened in a massive tainted milk scandal.
A lawyer representing Zhao Lianhai expressed shock at the severity of Wednesday’s sentence and said he would appeal.
Lawyer Peng Jian says authorities in Beijing found Zhao guilty of the crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Peng says when the sentence was handed down, Zhao protested that he did not commit a crime.
Supporters of Zhao say he plans to stage a hunger strike.
Zhao’s own child was one of almost 300,000 sickened by baby formula laced with the industrial chemical melamine in 2008. He was convicted of inciting social disorder after he established a web site with information for other parents and organized protests demanding compensation.
The sentence was surprising in light of the government’s strong response to the scandal, which killed six children. Chinese authorities jailed or executed several farmers, milk dealers, and executives at Sanlu, the dairy company that sold the milk.
The melamine was added to the milk formula to add bulk and make it appear higher in protein. The chemical caused the children to suffer from kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
The tainted milk powder began harming Chinese children in August 2008, but was not reported publicly until later because of the Olympics.
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