The Chinese scientist who created the world's first genetically modified infant was sentenced to three years in prison, while he was banned from engaging in reproductive technology for life.
According to Bloomberg, citing Chinese state media, He Jianqui, a researcher from Shenzhen who sparked a storm of reactions when he revealed his experiment last year, will also have to pay a fine of 3 million yuan ($ 430.000), according to Bloomberg. Xinhua, citing the ruling of the Shenzhen court.
The court also sentenced two of He's aides, Zag Renly, a researcher at Guadog's hospital, where he was sentenced to two years in prison, and Qin Jinzhou, an investigator at Luohe Hospital in Shenzhen, where he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. .
The verdict is China's first public announcement of the fate of He, who disappeared after the reactions to his experiment in 2018. He had genetically modified embryonic genes to create babies resistant to the AIDS virus. The apology had provoked condemnation from the international scientific community as a misuse of genetic methods, and raised ethical issues.
Source: CITIZEN