Veteran Chinese dissident journalist Gao Yu goes on trial in Beijing

Gao Yu, one of the mainland’s most respected and outspoken journalists, has defended herself in court against allegations she revealed state secrets.

On trial in Beijing’s No 3 Intermediate People’s Court, Gao pleaded not guilty and “showed clear thinking in presenting her defence”, her lawyer Shang Baojun said after the hearing.

“We had an ordinary court proceeding today which gave hearing to the prosecution and defendant…But there’s no verdict today,” Shang said.

“She gave a detailed account of her defence in court denying she was guilty.”

If convicted, Gao faces possible life imprisonment.

She is accused under article 111, which stipulates fixed-length prison terms of between five and ten years for anyone “who steals, spies on, buys or illegally provides state secrets or intelligence for an agency, organisation or individual outside the country”.