China Sentences Former Security Chief To Life In Prison For Corruption

By Eyder Peralta

Published June 11, 2015 at 5:44 AM CDT

A 2012 photo of Zhou Yongkang, the then-Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member in charge of security. Zhou has been sentenced to life in prison over charges of corruption.

China's former security chief has been sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to taking bribes and leaking state secrets.

As we've reported, Zhou Yongkang has been the highest-ranking official convicted as part of President Xi Jinping's promise to root out corruption.

Citing state media, Bloomberg reports that Zhou does not plan to appeal his sentence. Bloomberg adds:

"Zhou's position on the Standing Committee from 2007 to 2012 would have given him the highest level of access to information on the party and the government. Zhou is the biggest 'tiger' snared in the corruption clampdown led by Xi, who pledged to pursue abuse by both 'tigers and flies' within the party after taking power at the end of 2012.

"In a editorial after the investigation was announced in July, Xinhua News Agency said it ended 'a myth among many people that senior leaders are regarded to be immune from the party discipline regulation and the country's law enforcement.'"

Xinhua reports that Zhou will also be deprived of all political rights and all his personal assets have been confiscated.