Chinese businessman who called President Xi a ‘clown’ 18 years in prison in | Abroad

In addition to his jail term, Ren, former board chairman of state real estate company Huayuan, also has to pay a fine of 4.2 million yuan (about 526,000 euros). Ren is said to have accepted bribes, embezzled public money and thus enriched himself with about 2.5 million euros. According to his supporters, he has been punished for his harsh criticism of leader Xi Jinping.

In March, Ren Zhiqiang’s friends reported he was missing. The 69-year-old magnate had then recently criticized President Xi for his handling of the corona outbreak in China. He drafted an essay criticizing the president and his policies. According to Ren, the new coronavirus could have been tackled sooner if there had been freedom of expression in China and journalists were not restricted in their work.

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