A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer has gone on trial in Beijing charged with disrupting public order.
Barricades were set up outside the Beijing court as tight security was imposed. Photo: AFP
Xu Zhiyong is the founder of a new citizens movement that has held small protests across China demanding government officials to disclose their wealth.
Mr Xu is charged with "gathering crowds to disrupt public order", the BBC reports. Seven members of the informal grassroots group, New Citizens Movement, also face separate trials this week on similar charges.
A known legal scholar, Mr Xu also campaigned on behalf of inmates on death row and families affected by tainted baby milk formula in 2009.
There was tight security outside the court, and Western diplomats said they were able to enter the building but were not allowed into the courtroom itself.
