The trial of a Chinese artist who led a daring march toward Tiananmen Square and was later accused of assaulting police ended yesterday without an immediate verdict in a case his supporters say is revenge for his activism.
Wu Yuren (吳玉仁) was charged with “obstructing public affairs with violence” relating to a confrontation with police when he visited a police station in May. Police say he hurt an officer’s fingers.
Wu denies the charge and says that he was beaten.
Wu’s wife and lawyer said yesterday’s trial concluded with no verdict. It was held amid tight security.
“It’s a travesty that he’s even in there. They have no evidence on him,” Karen Patterson, Wu’s Canadian wife, said outside the Beijing courthouse.
Three months before the confrontation, Wu and other Beijing artists had marched toward Tiananmen Square to protest sometimes violent harassment from developers who want to tear down their studios for real-estate profits. His supporters say the trial is police revenge for his repeated protests and activism.
Wu, a creator of conceptual art installations, also signed Charter 08, the public demand two years ago for democratic reforms written by Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), the now-imprisoned government critic and last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Wu’s trial started in November, but was adjourned after one day because Wu’s lawyer protested that police video entered as evidence had been edited. Police told the court yesterday that the original footage had been lost after changes were made to the video surveillance system last year, said Wu’s lawyer, Lin Qilei (藺其磊).
It was unclear when the court would reach a verdict, Lin said.
While trials in China are often swift, with verdicts handed down on the same day, some cases — particularly high-profile ones — can take days or even weeks before a court announces its decision.
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