BEIJING — A Chinese dissident writer has been freed after serving five years in jail for alleged illegal business activities. Yang Maodong says he was released Tuesday. He told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the charges against him were trumped up and that his interrogators only questioned him about his pro-democracy activities, not business matters. He said an attempt to appeal the conviction in February was rebuffed by the local court in south China's Guangzhou, where he was sentenced. Human rights groups have alleged that Yang was tortured into confessing before his trial and mistreated in prison. Yang declined to describe his treatment by authorities. Yang is also known as Guo Feixiong.
