American convicted of sabotage for Falun Gong

An American man linked to the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement was sentenced to three years in prison by a Chinese court yesterday after being convicted of sabotaging broadcast facilities, the government said.

Charles Li, of Menlo Park, California, was also ordered to be deported, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Li would have to serve his sentence before deportation.

"If they deport him immediately that would be great," said Li's fiance, Foo Yeong Ching, who is in Washington DC. "I would be very happy to see him back here immediately."

Ms Foo said she has been in Washington lobbying legislators to pressure China for Li's release since 16 March. Li became a US citizen last year.

The charges against Li – identified on his US passport as Chuck Lee – appeared to be related to the hijacking of Chinese cable and satellite television broadcasts by Falun Gong followers to show videos protesting against the Chinese government's ban on their group.

His fiancé and US-based Falun Gong organisers have identified him as a follower of their group.

Falun Gong was banned in China in 1999 as a threat to public safety and Communist rule.