Rumormonger ruling seen as lesson for public

The nation's first judgment against a defendant accused of spreading fake rumors online has been hailed by judges and experts, who call for netizens to learn from the case.

Qin Zhihui, known online as Qin Huohuo, was found guilty of defamation and causing disturbances by Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court on Thursday and sentenced to three years.

Qin, who reportedly defamed celebrities and the government, said he will not appeal the ruling. He is the first person in China to be tried and sentenced for online defamation since authorities launched a national crackdown last year against online rumormongering and after China's top court issued a judicial interpretation in September to tackle online libel.