Chinese ‘709’ rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang stands trial as his wife is forced to stay away
- Case gets under way almost 3½ years after Wang was detained, and he fires his state-appointed legal representative on the spot
- Supporters and journalists also barred from entering courthouse
Prominent Chinese rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang fired his government-appointed lawyer “in the first minute” of his trial on Wednesday, as the final case linked to the 2015 crackdown on legal activism that resulted in about 300 lawyers and activists being detained got under way.
After almost 3½ years behind bars, Wang, 42, stood trial in a closed-door hearing in the northern port city of Tianjin on a charge of subverting state power.
The hearing, which the court said involved “state secrets”, was criticised by other lawyers and rights groups for breaching Chinese law.
Wang was detained in August 2015, less than a month after Beijing launched a nationwide crackdown on lawyers and activists that critics said was designed to stymie China’s emerging rights defence movement.
Most of the detainees were later released, although several reported being tortured while in detention.
The event became known as the “709 crackdown” after the day – July 9 – on which it began.
