Closed trial held, lawyer says

An activist Chinese lawyer was tried on subversion charges in Beijing without his family or defense lawyer being allowed to attend, his attorney said. No verdict or sentence was immediately announced.

The case against Gao Zhisheng comes amid a crackdown on Chinese lawyers representing people with grievances over corruption, land seizures and other politically sensitive issues.

Attorney Mo Shaoping said he couldn’t confirm a report by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post newspaper that Gao had pleaded guilty. He said he didn’t know the reason for the charges.