Beijing: A veteran Chinese journalist whose imprisonment for "leaking state secrets" had attracted condemnation from foreign governments and human rights groups has been granted medical parole.

Gao Yu, 71, was found guilty in April of leaking an internal Communist Party document which detailed the leadership's resolve to combat what it considered subversive influences on society, including Western liberal ideas of democracy, human rights and free speech.

Granted medical parole: Chinese journalist Gao Yu. Credit:AP

On Thursday morning, Beijing's High Court upheld the original guilty verdict, but reduced her seven-year sentence to five. China's official news agency Xinhua reported later that evening Ms Gao would be allowed to serve the remainder of her sentence outside of prison due to her serious health problems.