BEIJING — In convicting one of China’s most prominent rights lawyers, the Chinese government has struck a body blow at an independent legal movement that until recently had managed to take root despite numerous obstacles, legal rights advocates say.

Although the lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, 50, on Tuesday received a three-year suspended sentence that theoretically allowed him to go free, the conviction will end his legal career and effectively silence a stalwart member of a group of lawyers who have fought for justice and free speech within the narrow confines of China’s politicized legal system.

Since President Xi Jinping came to power, in 2012, a steady stream of lawyers and rights advocates have been detained, and in several cases have been put on trial and sentenced.

“Over the last 20 years, the great human rights success story has been the growth of lawyers and activists in China who work on everything from pollution to corruption to women’s rights,” said Sophie Richardson, the China director for Human Rights Watch. “This case makes very clear the senior leadership will not tolerate independent organizing, no matter how peaceful.”