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| Chinese activist charged with subversion of state power goes on trial | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Chinese activist has gone on trial in Tianjin, as part of a year-long government crackdown on legal activism. | |
| Zhai Yanmin is the first of a group of four activists and lawyers to be tried by China for "subverting state power". | |
| A prominent lawyer from the same firm, Wang Yu, was released on bail on Monday after a video appeared in which she renounced her legal work. | A prominent lawyer from the same firm, Wang Yu, was released on bail on Monday after a video appeared in which she renounced her legal work. |
| About 300 lawyers and activists have been detained in recent months. | About 300 lawyers and activists have been detained in recent months. |
| Observers have said the cases are politically motivated. Human rights groups have called on China to release them. | |
| The BBC's John Sudworth, who is in Tianjin, said the BBC team was stopped from filming outside the court by police, despite official Chinese media describing the trial as "open". | The BBC's John Sudworth, who is in Tianjin, said the BBC team was stopped from filming outside the court by police, despite official Chinese media describing the trial as "open". |
| Mr Zhai, a prominent human rights campaigner whose activism began with the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. | |
| The families of some of those arrested said in a statement on Monday that the trial was "ridiculous and evil". | The families of some of those arrested said in a statement on Monday that the trial was "ridiculous and evil". |
| The group is widely known as "709" - a reference to the date the crackdown was launched on 9 July 2015. | |
| "As 709 family members, we solemnly make this appeal to Chinese citizens and international friends: please pay attention to and condemn the trial." | |
| The statement also alleged that the wife of Mr Zhai was missing, with others facing the risk of being "taken away". | |
| The family members said they were not allowed to attend Tuesday's trial. | |
| Xinhua, the state media agency, said the trial would be open to observers and that 28 people were expected to attend, including "12 representatives from domestic media and five others from international media". | Xinhua, the state media agency, said the trial would be open to observers and that 28 people were expected to attend, including "12 representatives from domestic media and five others from international media". |
| Human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng and the two other activists, Hu Shigen and Gou Hongguo are also expected to go on trial over the next four days. | Human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng and the two other activists, Hu Shigen and Gou Hongguo are also expected to go on trial over the next four days. |
| In a video released on Monday, Ms Wang denounced Mr Zhou, the law firm's head, as an unqualified lawyer. | In a video released on Monday, Ms Wang denounced Mr Zhou, the law firm's head, as an unqualified lawyer. |
| She added that "foreign forces" were using her law firm to undermine and discredit the Chinese government. | She added that "foreign forces" were using her law firm to undermine and discredit the Chinese government. |
| Observers said there were indications the "confession" was coerced. In recent months forced public confessions have been used in several cases in China. | Observers said there were indications the "confession" was coerced. In recent months forced public confessions have been used in several cases in China. |