NYT/IHT: Jailed NY Times Researcher Gets One-Day Trial in China

Jailed Times Researcher Gets One-Day Trial in China
By DAVID LAGUE International Herald Tribune
Published: June 16, 2006

BEIJING, June 16 — The closed trial of a New York Times researcher accused of fraud and disclosing state secrets ended here today without the court reaching a verdict.

The researcher, Zhao Yan, 44, was tried at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, but his family, friends and journalists were denied access to the hearing, which was completed in a single day.

Mr. Zhao has denied the charges. If found guilty, he could face more than 10 years in prison....(O)ne of Mr. Zhao's lawyers, Guan Anping, said the law allowed the court to deliberate for up to a month before releasing a verdict.

Outside the court, Mr. Zhao's sister, Zhao Kun, and a group of his friends waited for news of the researcher, who has been in custody for 22 months....

***

Mr. Zhao, a veteran journalist and activist, was working in the Beijing bureau of The Times when he was arrested.

The charges against him are linked to an article published in The Times on Sept. 7, 2004, that accurately predicted top-level leadership changes in the ruling Communist Party....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/world/asia/16cnd-zhao.html?hp&ex=1150516800&en=8341deaed0883883&ei=5094&partner=homepage

we're about to walk this path. :-(

Those that have complete power grow to abuse it.

It.Has.Happened.Here. Ignoring the constitution, allowing the president to ignore 750 laws is all part of it. They are still discovering what they can get away with. If we don't win at least one chamber in November, musch darker days are ahead.

This poor guy will be lucky to get off with his life -- the Chinese are now selling the organs of executed prisoners, and sentencing white collar criminals to death.

Beyond words....

Hekate