Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng had his appeal against a four-year jail term for “inciting subversion against state power” rejected by a Chinese court, his wife Xu Yan said on Twitter on Monday.

The decision was later confirmed by both of Yu’s attorneys, Lin Qilei and Lu Siwei, who managed to receive a verdict from the Jiangsu High People’s Court on both Saturday and Monday.

Yu was sentenced to four years in prison in June, after being found guilty of “inciting subversion of state power” in a secret trial held in late May. He was also deprived of his political rights for three years as part of his sentence.The 53-year-old human rights lawyer was detained in January 2018, after publishing a letter that called for constitutional reforms in China. He had also been barred from practising as a lawyer a few days before he was apprehended by Beijing authorities.

Xu said on Twitter that she “staunchly” believed her husband was innocent and criticized the Jiangsu High People’s Court for failing to conduct the case in accordance with the legal procedures, and depriving Yu and his defense lawyers of their legal rights.

It was currently unclear which jail Yu would be sent to, she said.

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