Mr Du was tried on May 18 for "incitement to subvert state
power" in Xiaogan city, central Hubei province even though his lawyer Mo
Shaoping, who was only notified on May 14, could not prepare for the case
and reach the city in time.
Du was appointed another lawyer, Li Zongyi, who refused to enter a not
guilty plea, despite Du's demands, and only wanted to argue for a lighter
sentence.
The trial was held behind closed doors. Mr Mo said he should have been
informed earlier so he could adjust his schedule and Mr Du had a right to
have the trial deferred.
RSF ("Reporters sans frontières") condemned the denial of Mr Du's right to
a fair trial.
The authorities forced Du to plead guilty, showing their willingness to
employ any means to silence dissident voices, it said in a statement.
It was not the first time Mr Du had been deprived of a lawyer. In November,
his counsel Li Qingqiang had his licence withdrawn by his law firm,
preventing him from defending his client. Mr Du then chose Mo Shaoping,
only to be in turn deprived of his services.
Mr Du, a finance official, was detained in October for posting some 30
articles on the internet arguing for greater freedom of expression in China
and calling for the release of university student Liu Di, who was
imprisoned for posting articles on online forums calling for democracy in
China.
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