Scuffles as police block access to trial of Chinese human rights lawyer

The trial of one of China’s most high profile human rights lawyers, on charges of inciting ethnic hatred and provoking trouble, lasted just three hours on Monday, with police blocking diplomats, foreign reporters and protesters from the Beijing court. Pu Zhiqiang, who has spent nearly 19 months in detention, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, according to one of his lawyers, Shang Baojun. As many as 11 diplomats from countries including the United States, Germany and France who had gathered near the courthouse seeking to observe the trial were refused entry by police.

Pu Zhiqiang is a lawyer with a conscience. This is why he is now under arrest. We support him, and that means that we are also defending our own rights.

Activist Yang Qiuyu

Pu’s trial lasted a little over three hours, Mo Shaoping, another one of his lawyers, told Reuters. "He admitted the seven microblogs were written by him, there was no issue with it, this is a fact,“ Mo said, recounting what Pu said in court. "Secondly, he said that if these microblog posts had caused injury to other people, he apologizes for it. Thirdly, he had no intention to incite ethnic hatred or pick quarrels and provoke trouble." Mo said the court did not ask Pu specifically whether he was pleading guilty.