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Activist goes on trial in China

An outspoken Chinese civil rights activist who dedicated himself to chronicling the plight of other dissidents went on trial yesterday on subversion charges.

Hu Jia's (胡佳) case was being tried before Beijing No. 1 People's Intermediate Court, a court official said. Canadian and Australian diplomats who tried to enter the court to observe the trial were turned away. Two local lawyers and friends of Hu also were denied entry after being told the case was "sensitive."

One of Hu's lawyers, Li Fangping (李方平), said he expected Hu would receive a five-year sentence, likely to be handed down next week, on the charge of inciting subversion of state power.

"We think the explanation for this accusation is very unclear. If you apply it to any normal citizen, it can be a way of controlling freedom of expression," Li said on his way into court.

He said Hu was healthy and in good spirits.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sidestepped Hu's trial when questioned about the activist's persecution at his annual news conference yesterday. He avoided mentioning Hu by name and denied that Beijing was rounding up political critics ahead of the Olympics.

"China is a country ruled by law, and all these issues will be dealt with in accordance with law," Wen told reporters. "As far as the critics' view that China is trying to arrest dissidents before the Olympics there is no such issue at all."

One lawyer, Jiang Tianyong (江天勇), said he was turned away from the trial, even though there were free seats and he had applied in advance to attend. Only four people were allowed entry, he said.

"I fear that because there is no media, no independent third party, it will affect a fair trial," he said.

Li said earlier this month that an indictment cited comments Hu made during interviews with foreign media and articles he wrote that were posted on Boxun.com, a US-based Chinese-language Web site that is banned in China.

Boxun.com, based in North Carolina, carries reports and essays on a wide range of issues rarely seen in the Chinese state media, from corruption cases to calls for greater democracy.

Beijing routinely uses the nebulous subversion charge to imprison dissidents for years.

Hu has been a vocal critic of China's human rights record for years. An impassioned AIDS and environmental activist, Hu had been confined to his Beijing apartment in a complex called "Freedom City" for more than 200 days before he was taken away by security agents on Dec. 27.

It was not immediately clear whether Hu's wife, fellow activist Zeng Jinyan (曾金燕), was able to attend the trial. Zeng has lived under virtual house arrest for months and Li said he was unable to reach her by phone.

A friend of Zeng, Zhou Li (周莉), who was waiting outside the court with more than a dozen of Hu's acquaintances and supporters, said Zeng was at home with her newborn baby girl.

Hu's case has gained international attention, with US and European officials repeatedly raising it in meetings with Chinese officials.

"He was a small man, but he had great strength and spirit," friend Zhou said.
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