Seven people convicted by a court in north China's Shanxi Province of intentionally causing physical harm that led to the death of a reporter have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from one year to life.

Hou Zhenrun, the prime culprit in the death of reporter Lan Chengzhang, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Intermediate People's Court of Linfen City, in a first-instance trial on Wednesday.

Hou's five accomplices -- Zheng Wenping, Wu Qiang, Ma Li, Li Zhihong and Gao Bo -- were given jail terms of five to 15 years. Zheng Gui, the seventh man, was convicted of harboring the suspects and sentenced to one year in prison.

The court also ordered the main six accused to compensate Lan's family members more than 300,000 yuan (US$39,393.34).

Lan Chengzhang, a reporter with the Beijing-based China Trade News, died on January 11, a day after being severely beaten outside a coal mine. Lan was investigating an illegal coal mine owned by Hou in Datong, a major coal mining city in Shanxi, according to the court verdict.

The case has been complicated by allegations that Lan and his colleague Cheng Hanwen were not officially accredited journalists, and that they were trying to extort money from mine owner Hou Zhenrun in exchange for not writing articles about the mine.

Hou organized the gang who attacked Lan and Cheng. Lan died of head injuries sustained in the attack, while Cheng survived but suffered a broken arm and other injuries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2007)