Tight security as trial resumes of Chinese rights lawyer and activists charged with subversion
A 100-metre cordon of iron barricades was placed around Guangzhou court on Thursday to stop civilians and journalists attending trio's hearing, which also began an hour early
The closed-door trial of rights lawyer Tang Jingling and activists Wang Qingying and Yuan Chaoyang, who are charged with inciting subversion of state power, resumed on Thursday morning in Guangzhou amid tight security.
A 100-metre cordon of iron barricades had been placed around Guangzhou Municipality Intermediate People’s Court to prevent civilians and journalists from attending the hearing.
The start of the trial had also been brought forward to 8.30am – one hour earlier than had been expected.
Defense lawyers for the trio said prosecutors had listed irrelevant evidence, including testimony from a landlady saying the three lived together and the contents of Tang’s Twitter account.
"Prosecutors presented the content of Tang's Twitter account, but they failed to pinpoint which concrete statement allegedly involved state subversion. It's very ambiguous," said one of his lawyers, Yan Xin.
"There is no clear logic nor clear argumentation logic. It shows their inability to legitimately indict Tang with such a charge."
The lawyers also said the court had rushed through proceedings by planning to wrap it up on Friday.
Several people dressed in plain clothes inside the cordoned-off area beside the court entrance opened large umbrellas, further blocking views of the restricted area.
A bus stop about 50 metres from the courthouse was also closed to traffic as a security measure to minimise the public turnout at the court.
About 25 activists, who had showed up outside the court, were taken away by police between 9am and 11am. They are reportedly being held at a police academy in Yuexiu district.
Among the activists was 75-year-old Ouyang Jinghua, who suffers from chronic heart disease and was walking with a cane, but travelled from Hunan province to Guangzhou by coach on Wednesday night to express his support for the trio.
“The recent crackdown on lawyers and activists is very intense, but that’s exactly why I should be here to show support at this critical time,” said Ouyang before he was taken away by police.
A closed-door hearing last month was halted after the trio dismissed their defence lawyers in protest against court irregularities.
