Chinese officers scuffle with protesters outside trial of human-rights lawyer
It took about three hours on Monday for a Chinese court to try a human-rights lawyer accused of “picking quarrels” and inciting ethnic hatred for his sarcastic posts on a website similar to Twitter.
The New York Times calls the trial of Pu Zhiqiang “the latest attempt by the Communist Party to silence political dissent and rein in activist lawyers who question official policies and actions.” Pu could be sentenced to eight years in prison if he is convicted for the seven posts on Weibo. One of his lawyers expects a verdict soon.
Some of Pu’s posts questioned government policies toward ethnic Uighurs in a region of western China and mocked an elderly member of China’s legislature who had never voted “no” in her 60-year career.
Chinese police officers and security agents scuffled with protesters outside the courthouse before the trial, report the Associated Press and the Guardian. At least five protesters were “roughed up” and taken away, AP says.
Plainclothes agents tried to separate protesters from reporters. One foreign journalist reported being slammed to the ground. Foreign officials and journalists were not allowed in the courtroom.
American diplomat Dan Biers read an embassy statement outside the courthouse that expressed concern about Pu’s trial. “Lawyers and civil society leaders such as Mr. Pu should not be subject to continuing repression, but should be allowed to contribute to the building of a prosperous and stable China,” Biers said.
Police had tried to prevent Biers from reading the statement near the courthouse, Reuters reports.
