A Chinese court has sentenced Tibetan film-maker Dhondup Wangchen to six years in prison for undermining the state. The sentence was handed down on 28 December.

Mr Wangchen made the film 'Leaving Fear Behind' in which ordinary Tibetans talk about the Dalai Lama and Chinese oppression. He was arrested in 2008, shortly after the film was finished. The film was later smuggled out of the country.

Mr Wangchen's wife has appealed to the Chinese authorities to allow legal aid. The organisation Reporters Without Borders, which launched a petition for Mr Dhondup's release last year, has called the jail sentence a disgrace. 

Photos: Dhondup Wangchen (left:leavingfearbehind.com) and protests for his release (Flickr / SFTHQ)