Story highlights Zhou Yongkang, China's former security chief, is sentenced to life in prison for taking bribes

Zhou, 72, also got seven years for abuse of power and four years for revealing state secrets

(CNN) The highest-ranking Chinese Communist Party official ever to face corruption charges has been sentenced to life in prison, according to a statement Thursday from China's Supreme People's Court.

Zhou Yongkang , the country's former security chief, received the sentence after being found guilty of taking bribes, China's top court said, citing the Tianjin No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in northeastern China.

Zhou, 72, also received seven years for abusing power and four years for deliberately revealing state secrets.

Footage from the court in Tianjin, not far from the Chinese capital, Beijing, showed Zhou looking healthy but now with white hair.

He said, "I have acknowledged the fact of my committed crimes, and the loss that was caused to the party's mission. Hereby I am pleading guilty and I am regretful of it."

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