A prominent Chinese activist was today given a three-year suspended jail sentence for subverting state power, the first public trial since the year-long nationwide crackdown on human rights lawyers.
Zhai Yanmin, who was arrested in July last year as part of a crackdown on legal activism, has been found guilty of subverting state power after a one-day trial in Tianjin.
Zhai, described as unemployed resident of Beijing by state-run news agency Xinhua, was among 300 lawyers and activists arrested since July last year as part of a nationwide government campaign against legal activists.
Announcing the sentence, Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court ordered that Zhai, 55, will have to serve a minimum three-year term should he fall foul of the law within the four-year probation period.
Three more activists from Zhai's law firm Fengrui, which specialises in human rights cases, are on trial in Tianjin.
The cases have provoked international criticism and accusations that they are politically motivated.
The court also deprived Zhai of his political rights for four years.
The court was told that Zhai and the three others "conspired and plotted to subvert state power," and "established a systematic ideology, method and steps to achieve it."
Zhai pleaded guilty and declined his right to appeal, Xinhua said.
"With the help and education of the government, I recognise the severity of my crimes. I plead guilty and express my sincere remorse," Zhai was quoted as saying.
He was first exposed to concepts such as the "colour revolutions" and "peaceful transition" online, the court said in a statement.
"He then joined an underground church led by Hu Shigen and gradually developed plans to overthrow the state socialist system," it said.
Since 2012, Zhai has attempted to incite people to subvert state power by use of the online resources, the court said.
"Zhai, together with underground church members and lawyers, engaged and managed illegal petitioners to organise public gatherings, hype up legal cases and incidents, attack the country's judicial system and carry out activities aimed at subverting the state power and socialist system," the statement said.
These activities endangered the state and society, it added.
"The court handed down a light sentence because he confessed, testified against others and repented. Moreover, the court decided that Zhai posed no major threat to the community," it said.
