Ousted Chinese Communist Party official Bo Xilai was found guilty of corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power Sunday and sentenced to life in prison.
"The opinion of the defendant and his defense lawyers is not accepted by the court," said the presiding judge in the eastern city of Jinan, according to the intermediate court's official microblog. "The court has decided to impose life imprisonment, deprive him of his political rights for life and confiscate all his personal assets."
Bo was a member of the Communist Party Politburo and the charismatic party chief of the city of Chongqing. A rising star in Chinese politics, he revived the memory of Mao Zedong, cracked down on organized crime and made no secret of his national ambitions.