Activist artist to be retried over police station assault

Avant-garde artist Wu Yuren will be retried on a charge of obstructing public service after his court case in Beijing was dismissed yesterday for lack of evidence.

Wu - who is a signatory of Charter 08, a liberal manifesto calling for democratic changes on the mainland - was earlier accused of cursing, and assaulting and hurting an officer at a police station. He faces up to three years in jail if convicted of obstructing public service.

The legal tussle arose when Wu accompanied a friend to discuss a dispute with a landlord on May 31 at a Chaoyang district police station. The friend, fellow artist Yang Licai , wanted to file a complaint against the management office of the 798 art district, and Wu went with him to lend moral support. Yang said he heard Wu scream from a separate interrogation room and assumed he was beaten up by the police. Wu was detained from that day on.

The four-hour hearing yesterday took place at Wenyuhe Court outside Fifth Ring Road. About 50 people, including friends, neighbours and microblog supporters, showed up. A security cordon was put up and guarded by about 25 policemen.

Yesterday marked the first time Wu's wife - Canadian citizen Karen Patterson - had seen her husband since his detention on May 31. 'Seeing him today assured me that he is OK,' she said.

Patterson was surprised to be allowed in as Wu's lawyer, Li Fangping , had warned her the day before: 'Don't count on it.' She had applied to attend the trial a week before but had not received any news.

A three-minute video clip was presented during the trial. Wu was allowed to give his side and to comment after each presentation.