Prominent human rights activist Xu Zhiyong has been sentenced to four years in prison, a Chinese court has ruled.
Xu Zhiyong, who campaigned for children’s rights and against corruption, was convicted of “gathering crowds to disrupt public order”.
Several other activists from a transparency movement are facing similar charges.
Rights groups have criticized President Xi Jinping – who pledged to fight corruption – over their cases.
Xu Zhiyong was arrested in July 2013 and the trial began on Wednesday.
Human rights activist Xu Zhiyong has been sentenced to four years in prison
Reacting to the verdict, Xu Zhiyong ‘s lawyer Zhang Qingfang said his client had told the court that “the last shred of dignity of China’s rule of law” had been destroyed.
Xu Zhiyong, who was also previously under house arrest, is a leading member of a group calling for officials to reveal their wealth.
The activist has also campaigned in behalf of inmates on death row and families affected by tainted baby milk formula, among other causes.
Many across China believe Xu Zhiyong was targeted by the government because of his rising popularity and his growing presence on Chinese social media platforms.
In 2009 Xu Zhiyong was arrested on tax evasion charges that were eventually dropped after public outcry.
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Chinese human rights activist Xu Zhiyong, who campaigned against corruption, has gone on trial in Beijing.
Xu Zhiyong is charged with “gathering crowds to disrupt public order”. He is one of several activists from a transparency movement to be tried this week.
Rights groups have criticized President Xi Jinping – who pledged to fight corruption – over their trials.
They come as a report says many members of China’s elite have set up offshore companies in overseas tax havens.
The trial of Xu Zhiyong, who was arrested in July 2013, began on Wednesday in Beijing.
There was tight security outside the court, with police blocking journalists from approaching or filming outside.
Western diplomats said they were able to enter the building but were not allowed into the courtroom itself.
Xu Zhiyong is a leading advocate of a group campaigning for government officials to reveal their wealth
Xu Zhiyong ‘s lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, said Xu and his lawyers both viewed the court proceedings as illegal, and stayed silent during the trial in protest.
Earlier, Zhang Qingfang told reporters that a fair trial looked “unlikely”. He said that he had not been given the opportunity to defend Xu Zhiyong in a fair court.
“Last week I applied for five witnesses to come and testify, but not only did the court reject my application, but also the police have been restricting these witnesses in the last two days,” he said.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei described Xu Zhiyong ‘s case as a “common criminal case” and that he had been “arrested in accordance with the law”.
Xu Zhiyong, who was also previously under house arrest, is a leading advocate of a group campaigning for government officials to reveal their wealth.
Seven members of the informal grassroots group, New Citizens Movement, also face separate trials this week on similar charges.
A known legal scholar, Xu Zhiyong also campaigned on behalf of inmates on death row and families affected by tainted baby milk formula in 2009.
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