mon 14 dec 2015, 08:01

Riots in trial of Chinese activist

BEIJING –

Under great international interest is Monday, the process started against the well-known Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang. He must avoid, because he did critical comment about the regime in his country. There were riots when people, the courtroom was not allowed.

Including messaging service Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, has Pu the Communist Party criticized, as well as the grandson of chairman Mao and the policy of the islamic Regime. The activist has, for the past nineteen months passed. And that’s probably not all, because Pu depends now eight years cell above the head, partly because of the “inciting ethnic division”.

On the process in Beijing, numerous foreign journalists, diplomats from the Netherlands, the USA and England, and activists attended. Agents prevent a group of approximately ten diplomats access to the court. The courtroom would be “full”.

Human rights organisations called for the immediate and unconditional release of Pu. “His case is full of irregularities, abuse of procedural rights and human rights violations.” Activists see the persecution of an attempted harassment of lawyers in China.

Pu is considered to be one of the most renowned lawyers in China. He has previously in court cases of activists defended that stood up for civil rights, but now he sits himself in the trial.

Pu Zhiqiang (archive)
Photo: AFP