China Aid Association
(Hangzhou, Zhejiang—Feb. 9, 2012) A sentence is expected to be announced on Friday in the subversion trial of longtime dissident Zhu Yufu, who was arrested in connection with a poem posted online around the time of the Arab Jasmine Revolution in the spring of 2011, ChinaAid has learned.
Zhu’s case was heard on Jan. 31 by the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court, but the trial ended with no sentence, which the court said it would announce “another day.” Zhu, who pled innocent, had testified in his own defense on the charge of “subversion of state power” and had warned the court that its sentence should “stand the test of history.”
Beijing lawyers Li Baiguang and Li Dunyong argued for Zhu’s innocence. The Hangzhou People’s Procuratorate had charged Zhu with subversion but its only “evidence of his crime” was just a short poem Zhu posted online entitled “It’s time.”
ChinaAid has learned that Zhu’s dissident friends would not be allowed to attend the proceedings when the court announces Zhu’s sentence at 3 p.m. on Friday. They had also been previously blocked from attending his trial on Jan. 31.
China Aid wishes to remind the Hangzhou authorities to show goodwill in its handling of Zhu’s case in light of the upcoming visit to the United States next week of Xi Jinping, widely expected to be China’s next premier and Communist Party leader.
See ChinaAid’s earlier reports on Zhu’s case:
https://chinaaid.org/2012/01/update-dissident-christian-zhu-yufus.html
https://chinaaid.org/2012/01/updates-one-christian-charged-with.html https://chinaaid.org/2011/05/christian-human-rights-law-firm-takes.html
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
