US-trained human rights lawyer sentenced to 30 months in jail in Vietnam
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Vietnamese court has sentenced a U.S-trained lawyer and well-known dissident to 30 months in jail after finding him guilty of tax evasion.
The charges against Le Quoc Quan were widely considered to be politically motivated.
Quan's case has been followed closely by U.S. government, which is pressing Vietnam's Communist leaders to loosen their restrictions on those advocating democracy and greater respect for human rights.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The trial began and ended Wednesday in the capital, Hanoi.
Quan maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and told the court Wednesday the verdict was because of his political views.