A man convicted of selling endangered parrots was released from prison on Wednesday after a successful appeal reduced his sentence from five years to two, Legal Evening News reported Wednesday.

Wang Peng of Shenzhen was detained in May 2016 after police found that he had raised and sold two endangered parrots. But Wang — a self-professed parrot lover — maintained that he did not know the birds were protected. When a court in 2017 fined Wang 3,000 yuan ($500) and sentenced him to five years in jail, Chinese social media hotly debated whether the penalty was too strict.

Wang’s release does not put an end to the controversy, however: He told media that while he will no longer sell parrots, he plans to appeal again on principle for what he still believes to be an unjust verdict. (Image: Weibo)