Xu Zhiyong among transparency activists set to face trial
Rights advocates say cases may be effort to crush campaign
Six activists from a prominent social movement that has called on officials to disclose their assets will stand trial next week in what rights advocates fear is a concerted effort to crush their campaign.
Legal scholar and rights advocate, Xu Zhiyong, who launched the New Citizen movement in 2012 to push for social equality and the rule of law, will face trial on Wednesday on the charge of "assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public place", his lawyer said.
Xu planned to remain silent in court to protest procedural flaws that he believed would result in an unfair outcome, he said.
The trial of five supporters of his movement, who played key roles in planning and participating in the street campaigns last year that agitated for transparency over officials' assets, will take place Thursday and Friday, lawyers Zhang Xuezhong and Liang Xiaojun said yesterday. They are all facing the same charge as Xu.
Zhao Changqing's trial will take place on Thursday in Beijing's Haidian district court, while the trials of Ding Jiaxi , Li Wei , Zhang Baochang and Yuan Dong will take place on Friday at the same court, they said.
Zhang, Zhao's lawyer, said he would raise opposition to the fact that the activists' cases are to be heard separately, making it harder for the them to defend their cases.
"They have never given fair treatment in the cases of New Citizen movement … this is political oppression," said Zhang.