Chinese court upholds prominent scholar's 11-year punishment

A Chinese court upheld Thursday the unprecedented 11-year sentence given to a prominent scholar who had called for political reform, the latest in a string of harsh punishments for dissenters.

The ruling -- the third legal defeat this week for veteran Chinese activists -- drew a rare public rebuke from the U.S. ambassador, who said Liu Xiaobo should be released immediately.

Liu's hearing at Beijing's high court took fewer than 10 minutes, and the activist was not given a chance to speak. "I'm innocent!" he called out before being taken away.

The United States and the European Union responded swiftly to Liu's failed appeal with statements condemning China's treatment of the scholar, who has been found guilty of inciting to subvert state power. China routinely uses the vaguely worded charge to jail people it considers troublemakers.