A Chinese court has rejected an activist's appeal of her nine-month jail term for staging a noisy protest.

The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of Wang Lihong for creating a disturbance when she helped lead a protest on behalf of three bloggers accused of slander.

A retired businesswoman, Wang became outraged at officials' abuse of power and found an outlet in the Internet, becoming a well-liked figure in China's activist community.

Her supporters and rights groups say the charges against her were fabricated to punish her for her wider activism, noting that she alone was charged for a protest many others attended. Her prosecution underscores the government's worries about Internet-empowered social activists.