Beijing: A newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party is endorsing charges of leaking state secrets against a veteran journalist that critics say amount to political persecution.
The Global Times says in an editorial on Saturday that Gao Yu is clearly guilty of leaking an internal party document on ideological instruction. It says rules state that such documents are classified as secret unless the party decides to make them available to the general public.
The editorial also took aim at overseas criticism of Gao's case, calling it part of a campaign to smear China's reputation.
The 70-year-old Gao denied the charges in a closed-door hearing on Friday. She faces a maximum sentence of death. The document in question is believed to outline curbs on the spread of Western civil liberties in China.
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