human rights lawyer Chang Weiping tried behind closed doors

He is accused of having tried to subvert the power of the state. The police prevented relatives from attending the hearing. His lawyers were forced not to reveal the details of the trial. Linked to the well-known dissident Xu Zhiyong, Chang denounced having been tortured in prison.

Beijing () – The Baoji Intermediate Court (Shaanxi) yesterday tried human rights lawyer Chang Weiping behind closed doors. The accusation against him is to have tried to subvert the power of the State, a crime for which he can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, the defendant is now awaiting the verdict. The police prevented relatives from attending the hearing. Charged with violating the Covid-19 prevention rules, the officers stopped the car of his wife Chen Zijuan at a crossroads on the road leading to Feng County, where the trial was held.

In addition, Chang’s two lawyers had to sign a confidentiality agreement that prevents them from disclosing information about the ongoing trial. The activist lawyer is linked to well-known dissident Xu Zhiyong, founder of the New Citizens Movement, who is also awaiting verdict on the subversion charge.

Chang is known for defending people discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or because they have contracted HIV. He also dealt with cases related to political dissidents. In 2018, the Baoji Department of Justice suspended his professional license; two years later he was expelled from the bar.

Authorities arrested Chang for the first time in January 2020. Like Xu Zhiyong, he was already being targeted by the police for having participated in a meeting with democracy activists in Xiamen, Fujian, in December 2019. After being placed in released, the following October he posted a video on YouTube denouncing that he had been tortured in prison. He was later arrested again.