Kigali, Apr 20 (AP) A court in Rwanda sentenced a Chinese businessman to 20 years in prison for torture after he was filmed beating a local man last year.

Sun Shujun had been accused of beating his workers in a case that drew attention because he was filmed whipping a man tethered to a pole on the ground.

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A Rwandan man, Renzaho Alexis, was sentenced to 12 years for his alleged role as an accomplice in the beatings.

The Chinese embassy in Rwanda acknowledged Tuesday's verdict in a statement Wednesday urging Chinese citizens living in Rwanda to abide by local laws.

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“Meanwhile, the embassy calls for the case to be handled appropriately in a rational, fair and just manner and requests the legitimate rights of the Chinese citizens to be properly protected,” the statement said.

Shujun's victims are reported to have been former workers at a mine he operated in the rural Rutsiro district. They had been reportedly accused of theft.

He was arrested after the video of him beating a man, including on the head, was widely shared in August. He was later released on bail.

Rwanda courts spokesman Harrison Mutabazi said the convict has a right to appeal to a higher court. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)