Ten men who operated a black jail in Beijing were sentenced to prison for illegally holding petitioners from Henan Province.

The men were arrested in May after imprisoning the 11 petitioners in two courtyards in Wangsiying township in Beijing's Chaoyang district for between two and six days. They were given sentences ranging from two years to six months.

The Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court found Wang Gaowei, 42, and nine accomplices all from Henan guilty of false imprisonment.

The men as a group have also been ordered to pay each petitioner between 1,300 yuan ($208) and 2,400 yuan in compensation, the court said.

Black jails in China have a reputation for illegally holding people who have travelled to Beijing to file a petition or grievance against their local officials.

Persistent petitioners are often picked up by unauthorized personnel sent from their hometowns. Sometimes they are held in secret locations and sometimes are escorted out of the capital or simply given a bus or train ticket home.

It was not the first time that people who illegally imprisoned petitioners in Beijing have been sentenced, according to Xinhua.