Five years in prison is a long time for a twitter joke. Just think what he would have gotten if he had created a movie about Muhammad:
DAILY MAIL – A blogger has been detained by police facing a possible five years in Chinese jail after tweeting a joke about Chinese Communist Party delegates dying.
Hundreds of Chinese internet users are rallying around Beijing blogger Zhai Xiaobing who has been detained by police after posting a joke on Twitter about the pivotal Communist Party congress which took place on November 8.
Chinese authorities have been especially sensitive to any perceived dissent about the party meeting, which closed last week, after ushering in a new generation of leaders. …
Mr Xiaobing tweet on November 5 suggested the next movie in the Final Destination horror film franchise would be about the Great Hall of the People collapsing on party delegates.
He posted on Twitter: ‘An earth-shaking debut will be seen at the global premiere on Nov. 8!’
The week-long congress began that day.
After his Twitter account fell silent for a few days, his friend Liu Yanping grew worried and visited his home in Miyun county in Beijing’s northeastern suburbs.
There, his family members told Ms Yanping that Miyun county police had taken him away on November 7 and seized his computer.
A Miyun county police officer, who would only give his surname, Sun, said that Zhai was being investigated for ‘spreading terrorist information’.
This charge carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
Mr Xiaobing’s supporters have called the allegation absurd and more than 400 people have signed an online petition calling on police to release him and to have more of a sense of humour.
Ms Yanping said: ‘I was very shocked when I realised what happened to him.
‘I’ve consulted a few lawyers and I feel that it’s clear his Twitter joke does not amount to spreading terrorist information.
‘It’s just preposterous.’
She said that she and a few other activists have been in touch with his family and would help hire a lawyer.