Chinese Court Sentences U.S. Businesswoman Accused of Spying

Jeff Gillis, the husband of U.S. citizen Phan “Sandy” Phan-Gillis, looks through documents he has collected in support of his wife in Houston, on Oct. 4, 2016.

Photographer: David J. Phillip/AP Photo
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Houston (AP) -- An American woman detained during a business trip to China was convicted of spying and sentenced Tuesday to 3 ½ years in prison, raising the possibility that she may be allowed to return home soon.

Phan Phan-Gillis has faced an uncertain fate since March 2015, when she disappeared from her group traveling in southern China. She was later accused of espionage, which carries a possible death sentence. A United Nations panel has said her detention violated international norms, and the U.S. has long pressed China to resolve the case fairly.