The Shanghai Higher People's Court on Thursday rejected the appeal of Shanghai lawyer Zheng Enchong against a three-year prison term for divulging state secrets.

Zheng was convicted at the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Oct. 28 of illegally providing secret materials to overseas organizations. He had allegedly faxed a copy of state secrets to Human Rights in China (HRIC) based in New York on May 28.

Zheng appealed on the grounds that the materials he faxed were not state secrets and that even if they were, he was unaware and demanded for a reduced, lenient penalty.

The Shanghai Higher People's Court upheld the previous verdict.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2003)