Criminal charges against human rights lawyer filed with prosecutor

Renowned human rights defense lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, jailed since May for attending an event commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, has has been formally charged with the crimes of separatism (“splitting the Motherland”), inciting subversion of the state, creating a disturbance and illegally obtaining information on private citizens.

Pu Zhiqiang’s attorney, Mo Shaoping, told Boxun’s reporter he doesn’t know when a trial will be held.

On May 4, 2014 Pu Zhiqiang was detained and held in Beijing’s Number One Detention Center on the criminal charge of “creating a disturbance.” On June 13, 2014, he was formally arrested on suspicion of creating a disturbance and illegally obtaining information on private citizens.

Attorney Liu Xiaoyuan said said authorities had used up the number of extensions in detention they were allowed to apply to Pu, so the case went to the proesecutor’s office.

Pu, 49, is well known for having defended dissidents such as artist Ai Weiwei and opposing forced labor (“re-education through labor”) camps.

http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2014/11/201411200949.shtml

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/china/AJ201411200096