A Chinese court on Monday sentenced to three years in prison a veteran dissident who had criticized the government's response to a 2008 earthquake that killed about 90,000 people.

Huang Qi was convicted of illegally possessing state secrets by the Wuhou district court in the western city of Chengdu, his wife Zeng Li said by telephone.

Zeng said no details were given about the charge, an ill-defined accusation often used by Communist leaders to clamp down on dissent and imprison activists.