Guo Quan, a former Nanjing Normal University professor who published an open letter in 2007 to President Hu Jintao calling for constitutional reform, was in ''good spirits,'' said Guo Lianhui, who is of no relation to his former client.

''We last met on (Oct. 23) and on that day I filed an appeal for Guo Quan at the Jiangsu People's High Court,'' lawyer Guo told Kyodo News by telephone. ''I have ceased representing Guo since then and two other lawyers have replaced me.''

He said the replacement, welcomed by Guo Quan, was government ordered and that it is common practice for cases of appeal to be handled by new lawyers.

Guo Quan published 347 articles on the Internet about democracy, criticizing one-party rule by the Chinese Communist Party and calling for multi-party elections.

In 2008, Guo founded the China New Democracy Party and continued criticizing the government on the Internet on different issues including the handling of the Sichuan earthquake response and a territorial dispute with Japan over the East China Sea.

After being arrested in November last year, he stood trial in August and was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month.

The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said a ruling on Guo's appeal would likely come later this month.

==Kyodo