An anti-corruption campaigner put on trial in what activists say is a crackdown on dissent was beaten by police while in detention, lawyers said yesterday.
Liu Ping , together with Wei Zhongping and Li Sihua , faces a possible five year prison sentence for "illegal assembly" after the trio photographed themselves displaying banners calling for government officials to disclose their assets.
Defence lawyers told the court in Xinyu , in the central province of Jiangxi , that some of Liu's testimony had been provided under duress.
"Police beat Liu while she was in the process of being detained and also when she was held in a detention centre," Pu Zhiqiang said. "We asked the court to exclude any evidence obtained by force."
One of Liu's attorneys, Si Weijiang , said he had raised in court the issue of police violence against his client.
More than 100 "hooligans" surrounded the court on Wednesday, jostling with lawyers in an attempt to prevent them from entering, he said. "We think they had official backing," Si said.