China indicts high-profile dissident

Ananth Krishnam

One of China’s most high-profile dissidents was on Friday indicted on subversion charges for his strong calls for democratic reforms, according to his lawyer.

Liu Xiabo, a former lawyer and university professor, was detained in December after he co-authored a controversial call for political reforms known as Charter 08, along with 300 other prominent Chinese activists and academics.

His formal indictment comes almost a year after he was first held. Shang Baojun, his lawyer, said he was informed by prosecutors on Friday that Mr. Liu’s trial was likely to begin within the next month, and he would face the charge of inciting subversion of state power.

The charge carries a possible jail-term of 10 to 15 years, and has often been used by the authorities in the past to detain rights activists.

Mr. Liu is one of China’s most high-profile political reformers. He came into international attention in 1989, when he was jailed in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests. He has continued to campaign for greater democratic reforms in China.

His indictment lists a number of articles he wrote calling for greater political freedoms. It also points to his co-authorship of Charter 08. Among the signatories of Charter 08 is Bao Tong, the political secretary to the former Premier, Zhao Ziyang, who was known for supporting liberal political reforms before he was ousted after the Tiananmen protests.

The charter also calls for an independent judiciary, the election of public officials and greater religious freedoms.