The controversial trial of rights lawyer Tang Jingling, activists Wang Qingying and Yuan Chaoyang on charges of subversion concluded after an 11-hour hearing on Friday, with the defence counsel and family of the defendants vowing to appeal if the trio are convicted.
The closed-door hearing ended at around 7pm in the Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate People's Court, which had been fenced off by authorities. Dozens of activists voicing support for the accused have been taken away or escorted out of the city by authorities this week.
The hearing comes amid a sweeping crackdown on rights advocates that has seen more than 228 lawyers and activists targeted by police in a nationwide campaign beginning on July 9. According to Amnesty International, at least 20 are believed to remain in police custody.
Yan Xin , Tang's defence lawyer, said his client gave a 30-minute statement detailing his advocacy of non-violent civil disobedience over the past 20 years in a gradual push for democracy and social advancement. "We will seek an appeal if they are convicted because the three did not commit any crime. What they are working on and their beliefs are all part of the non-violent civil disobedience movement," Yan said.
Wang's wife, Zeng Jieshan, also said her husband would appeal as the indictment was groundless, adding he had been physically tortured during more than a year of detention.
The court has up to six months to deliver its verdict. Yan said the defence would focus on improving the detention conditions of the trio, who have been denied their rights to write to and meet family members, to access reading materials and to be exposed to the outdoors.
Tang faces up to 15 years in jail, the other two face sentences up to five years.