Beijing (CNN) -- Days before a court in eastern China announced the date for delivering the much anticipa
ted verdict in the trial of Bo Xilai, the disgraced Communist Party leader reiterated his innocence but anticipated lengthy imprisonment in a letter to his family.
"I was dragged into this and really wronged, but the truth will come out one day," wrote Bo in a letter dated September 12, referring to the bribes allegedly taken by his wife and other scandals involving her and her friends.
"Meanwhile I will be waiting quietly in prison," Bo continued. "Dad was thrown into prison multiple times
in his lifetime and I will look up to him as my role model."Bo's late father, Bo Yibo, was a revolutionary contemporary of Chairman Mao Zedong and late paramount lea
der Deng Xiaoping. During the tumultuous Cultural Revolution that Mao launched in 1966, however, the senior Bo was persecuted, tortured and imprisoned for over a decade. He was "rehabilitated" in 1979 and becam
e one of the most influential senior politicians under Deng.
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"Dad and Mom have passed away, but their teachings are deeply ingrained in my mind," Bo wrote. "I will never bring disgrace to them and their glory. I can bear the suffering no matter how great it is.
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s wife testifies"I have put Mom's photo by my bed. With her by my side, I don't feel lonely."A source with close ties to the Bo family confirmed to CNN the authenticity of the letter, which has been
circulating on the Internet. She adds that the content online is only part of the original letter, which
appears to be addressing the family members -- including a son and four siblings -- present in the courtroom during his trial.
Timeline: The Bo scandalThe Jinan Intermediate People's Court in the province of Shandong said Wednesday on its official microblo
g account that the verdict would be pronounced at 10am local time on Sunday.During the hearings of the politically sensitive trial that took place last month, Bo, 64, strongly challenged the prosecution's case against him, according to accounts published by the court. He faces charges
of bribe-taking, embezzlement and abuse of power.
The closely watched trial was considered to be much more transparent than most cases in China. But international and independent journalists weren't allowed inside the courtroom, and doubts were raised about the fullness of the court's version of events.