As one of China’s most celebrated human rights lawyers was tried for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, security officials outside the court pushed and shoved journalists covering the trial.
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In the morning, Beijing police and plainclothes police had cordoned off the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court, checked the identifications of passers-by, and drove the almost 50 protesters, a dozen American, European, and Australian diplomats, and two dozen Chinese and foreign journalists some distance away from the courtroom, according to an eyewitness who spoke to Epoch Times on condition of anonymity.
China has started the trial of prominent rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang after he posted messages on social media criticizing the Communist Party, including policies on Buddhist monasteries in Tibet and a ban on Muslim veils.
He has represented labour camp victims as well as the dissident artist Ai WeiWei.
“[Pu] should not be subject to continuing repression but should be allowed to contribute to the building of a…”, Biers said before being drowned out and bundled away by bellowing Chinese police officers.
“The authorities have made it clear that they see rights lawyers in particular as enemies of the state…”
Mr Pu’s lawyer quoted him as saying in court that he was prepared to apologise to anyone offended.
Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate release of Pu, who suffers from illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
At least one foreign journalist was also slammed to the ground, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China said in an open letter of complaint.
Mo Shaoping, another defense lawyer, said that Pu pleaded not guilty, and that prosecutors had not demonstrated that any of Pu’s postings had provoked troubles or incited ethnic tensions.
“Pu Zhiqiang, has been recognized around the world for supporting the rule of law in China, but has been in jail awaiting trial for more than 18 months”, Baucus said.
Chinese protesters and foreign rights groups said Pu’s trial amounted to political persecution, and foreign governments called for his release.
“This is really a case of freedom of expression, in which no harm to anyone has been proven”, Mo said in an interview after the trial.
It was reported that Pu did not enter a plea, though he expressed regret for the comments he made on Weibo, and expressed a commitment to be more careful in the future with his rhetoric.
The case has attracted so much attention because of Pu’s professional stature – his work has been praised by state-run magazines – and the fact he faces a near-certain conviction on what many consider a problematic, catch-all charge.
As a lawyer, Pu was known for assiduously keeping his activism within the boundaries of Chinese law.
He was arrested in May 2014 after attending a gathering to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
One of Pu Zhiqiang’s attorneys, Shang Baojun, stated that the trial came to an end just after noon and that no judgement had been given.
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Pu’s online messages were mostly remarks critical of the government’s handling of an ethnic conflict in Kunming, Yunnan province, a year ago and sarcastic comments about two officials.
