China sentences Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu to 13 years in prison for hacking UBC
China sentences Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu to 13 years in prison for hacking UBC
After being tried and found guilty of hacking UBC, Canadian-American athlete Kris Wu has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The sentence comes less than a month after Wu’s lawyers filed numerous motions challenging the validity of the court’s jurisdiction over the case.
A statement from the University of British Columbia reads, “The University of British Columbia strongly condemns and opposes any form of unlawful behaviour and we are very disappointed that on May 1, 2017, Kris Wu was convicted of a crime that does not affect or have any effect on students or members of the university community.”
Wu’s Chinese-born father was a Chinese refugee who moved to Canada in 1989. Wu came to the U.S. in 1999.
The University of British Columbia says it will continue to support and protect the interests of students.
Wu’s trial took place in Toronto on Monday, April 21, and began with a five-minute video statement by Wu’s lawyer, Mark Macindoe, in which he detailed what Wu had told him.
“Since the allegations were first made, [Wu] has denied them in response to multiple requests for him to admit guilt,” read the statement from Macindoe.
The trial then included a number of witnesses, including Wu’s Chinese-born parents, his legal team, and three UBC professors, all of whom testified that they had never seen or heard of Wu possessing a computer of any kind.
In his closing remarks, Macindoe again reiterated Wu’s claims of innocence, however he accused the UBC prosecutor of deliberately trying to convict him “for any reason other than the facts in his case.”
Macindoe also pointed out that UBC lawyers had received “numerous” calls and e-mails about the case.
“The UBC community has every right to expect a fair and impartial investigation by the police and the court,” read Macindoe’s statement.
“This community no longer has to accept a university compromised by an accused individual who is not a member of this community.”
Wu’s lawyers are now challenging the jurisdiction of the court, asking the courts to dismiss the charges against him because he was born in China and does not