BEIJING - Pu Zhiqiang was handed a suspended three-year prison sentence for inciting ethnic hatred and disturbing public order, a Beijing court ruled on Tuesday.

Pu was given a light punishment after a public trial as he confessed his crime honestly, pleaded guilty and repented his guilt. Pu accepted the verdict and said he will not appeal.

The court determined Pu provoked ethnic discord and incited ethnic hatred via multiple entries he posted on his social media account on Weibo.com from 2012 to 2014.

His widely viewed and shared posts stirred ethnic hatred among Internet users, triggering an antagonistic mentality in many and creating a severe social impact.

Pu continued posting provocative content despite repeated warnings from web administrators, which demonstrated his clear intent to stir ethnic hatred, the court said.

Since 2011, Pu posted derogatory content on his microblog account four times, smearing several people. The incident not only created psychological distress for victims, but also disturbed order in cyberspace and had a negative social impact.