Retrial For Human Rights Advocate Chen Guangcheng Ends Without Verdict

The retrial for human rights advocate Chen Guangcheng -- who was arrested in China after attempting to bring a class-action lawsuit against the government for alleged human rights abuses associated with the enforcement of the country's one-child-per-family policy -- ended on Monday with no verdict, the AP/ABC News reports (Ang, AP/ABC News, 11/27). Chen has recorded testimony from men and women in communities in and around China's Linyi province who have experienced forced abortions and sterilizations. Chen in August was sentenced by a court in China's Shandong province to four years and three months in prison for allegedly "willfully damaging property" and "organizing a mob to disturb traffic." An appeals court in Shandong in October ordered the retrial. According to Li Jingsong, one of Chen's attorneys, the Linyi City Intermediate Court overturned the sentence "because the process of the first trial was unfair, and facts and evidence ... were not tenable and did not hold water" (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/1).

Trial Proceedings
Chen's attorneys said that despite multiple setbacks local authorities prevented them from presenting a strong defense, the New York Times reports (Kahn, New York Times, 11/27). Chen's attorneys also said there were occasions for optimism during the 10-hour proceedings on Monday despite multiple setbacks, the Washington Post reports. "In the morning, the prosecutor interrupted us all the time, and the judge was always on the prosecutor's side," Li said, adding, "In the afternoon, the prosecutors tried to interrupt us about 20 to 30 times, but this time, the judge mostly denied their objections" (Fan, Washington Post, 11/28). According to the AP/ABC News, Li walked out of the courtroom midway through the proceedings to protest what he said was unfair treatment and interference by local authorities. Two of Li's witnesses could not be found before the trial, and Li said he saw a third, Chen Guanghe, being taken away on Sunday by eight men he believes were police officers in civilian clothing or men with ties to the police, the AP/ABC News reports. Li said he was prevented from collecting evidence and was assaulted on Sunday by a group of 30 people in Dongshigu, China (AP/ABC News, 11/27). Three witnesses -- including Chen's wife, Yuan Weijing, and brother, Chen Guangqing -- were allowed to testify for the defense, and Chen was allowed about 30 minutes to defend himself, the South China Morning News reports (Ma, South China Morning News, 11/28). Yuan said that she was questioned by police on Tuesday, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (Ang, AP/International Herald Tribune, 11/28). Teng Biao, also one of Chen's attorneys, was detained by the police for about four hours for questioning during the trial. According to Reuters, an unnamed court official said the trial was an "ordinary case," but he declined to provide details (Kang Lim, Reuters, 11/27). A verdict is expected within a month, Li said, adding that he expects the court to uphold the charge of damaging public property, which carries a maximum sentence of seven months (AP/ABC News, 11/27).

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