“[Zhai Yanmin] had always been influenced by anti-China forces, and gradually adopted ideology to overthrow the current state system”, partial transcripts of court proceedings released by Xinhua news agency read.
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On Tuesday, another one of the activists, 55-year-old Zhai Yanmin, was sentenced to a three-year term with a four-year reprieve for “subverting State power”.
Around 300 lawyers and activists have been detained since last July, provoking worldwide outrage and concern in China’s legal profession.
More than a dozen other lawyers and activists remain jailed, their legal status uncertain.
Hu stood accused of leading an “underground organization” that masqueraded as a church but was dedicated to identifying and drawing attention to accusations of government abuses.
Since 2009, he has used illegal religious organisation to attract illicit lawyers and paid petitioners to spread subversive thoughts and ideas, in addition he arranged for Gou Hongguo, another suspect, to receive anti-China training overseas, the court said in a statement.
He thanked the government for looking after him while he was ill and in hospital.
Li Heping and Zhou Shifeng also face the same charges – “subverting state power” – and are awaiting trial.
Zhou’s sentence was suspended for four years, meaning that although he won’t go to prison, he will have to live under considerable restrictions and supervision.
“I hope the court will give me an opportunity to correct my mistakes and start life anew”, Zhai said, standing in the defendant’s box and flanked by two bailiffs.
“I am resolved not to participate in any activities against the Party and government in the future, and be a citizen abiding by the law”, he said. Their actions were harshly denounced by the authorities as interference in the legal process.
The agency said Wednesday that Hu had admitted during his trial that he had discussed the “three elements” for the objective of inciting a “color revolution”.
In this image from video released on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 by China’s CCTV and made available via AP Video, Zhai Yanmin speaks during his trial at the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court in northern China’s Tianjin Municipality.
Many wives have said they and their retained lawyers have been denied access to the jailed activists for more than a year, receiving only occasional updates by word of mouth, while some family members seeking information have been briefly detained themselves.
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Xinhua said the trial would be open and attended by five foreign media outlets and other observers, in an apparent attempt to address vocal criticism from the activists’ supporters about a near-total lack of transparency surrounding the cases.
