Jailed Chinese journalist to sue Yahoo over email

A JAILED Chinese reporter accused of leaking state secrets has joined a US lawsuit claiming internet giant Yahoo helped the government convict dissidents, his mother said yesterday.

Shi Tao, who was sentenced in 2005 to 10 years in prison, is seeking compensation from the California-based company because Yahoo Hong Kong and Yahoo China were accused of providing information to the Chinese authorities that led to his arrest.

Mr Shi, a former writer for the financial publication Contemporary Business News, was jailed for allegedly providing state secrets to foreigners. His conviction stemmed from an email he sent containing his notes on a government circular.