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Mimi Lau

A Guangzhou rights lawyer and two activists stand trial today on a charge of inciting subversion of state power.
The controversial case against lawyer Tang Jingling and activists Yuan Xinting and Huang Qingying is expected to draw a large turnout.
Lawyers are not optimistic the trio will be set free in the case, which they say is politically charged, and national security personnel have been sent to control some local activists to deter them from attending the trial.
Iron barricades were seen outside the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court yesterday in preparation for today's hearing.
Family members of the defendants were also not allowed to check into hotels within the court's proximity.
Tang, 44, is an advocate for non-violent civil disobedience in the push for democracy and political reform on the mainland. He also advocates mediation between authorities and victims in the June 4 Tiananmen incident.
He was detained in May last year on a charge of "starting quarrels and provoking trouble". But the charge he now faces is far more serious and could see him jailed for at least five years.
One of his lawyers, Liu Zhengqing, said the case reflected the authorities' eagerness to display a hardline approach.
"Tang … believes he has done nothing illegal. It's a case of political persecution," Liu said.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Tang's wife Wang Yanfang called for more attention from international media and human rights groups.
"I believe my husband is innocent and he has done nothing wrong except for pushing for the public good," Wang said.
"The crackdown on dissent has increased … It is particularly bad in Guangzhou, where many lawyers and activists have been locked up."
Tang, who was a chemical engineer in the 1990s, gave up further studies in the United States to become a lawyer focused on fighting cases for repressed groups . He has worked on many high-profile cases in Guangdong. In one case, he represented Li Wangling, the sister of the late blind-and-deaf rights campaigner Li Wangyang. Li Wangyang, who spent 21 years in jail for his activism, was found dead in 2012, four days after Hong Kong Cable TV broadcast an interview with him.
Tang has also advocated for a universal elderly pension, women's rights and an open market for private investment.
Activists Yuan Xinting and Huang Qingying, both linked to Tang's activism, were arrested at around the same time last year. The pair face the same subversion charge, rights lawyer Sui Muqing said.
"The charge sounds severe because the case is politically charged," said Zhang Xuezhong, another of Tang's lawyers.
"The authorities could not find any proper charge to lay upon Tang, so it's more convenient for them to charge him with state subversion.
"We are going to plead not guilty, but we are not very optimistic … Still, we must do all we can to fight for him."
Zhang and Liu are both representing Tang in court today.


Chinese lawyer and rights activists to stand trial for subversion

Tang's wife, Wang Yanfang

News

China

Politics

Large turnout expected as rights campaigners enter court for controversial case, which their legal representatives say is politically charged


Chinese lawyer and rights activists to stand trial for subversion


Chinese lawyer and rights activists to stand trial for subversion

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Large turnout expected as rights campaigners enter court for controversial case, which their legal representatives say is politically charged

Large turnout expected as rights campaigners enter court for controversial case, which their legal representatives say is politically charged