China on Tuesday began a trial against prominent human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong for subverting state power.
Jiang, 46, who had criticised an ongoing government crackdown on lawyers and activists, went on trial at the Changsha Intermediate People's Court in Hunan province, reports Efe news.
The former Beijing lawyer went missing in November and was charged with subversion the following month.
Since 2009, Jiang had posted more than 33,000 messages on social media platforms weibo and Twitter, among whom 214 posts incited subversion.
A court-appointed lawyer will be defending Jiang, who allegedly had fired attorneys chosen by his family.
According to a statement by the Chinese Human Rights Defenders, this is a "trending government tactic of "forced-firing" of rights defenders' legal counsel".
Jiang was banned from practicing as a lawyer in 2009 owing to his involvement in controversial cases.
--IANS
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