Prominent Chinese dissident Hu Jia went on trial here Tuesday accused of subversion, as the government denied launching a crackdown on dissent ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Hu, 34, detained by police in December, pleaded not guilty to charges of incitement to subvert state power in the trial that lasted two and a half hours, his lawyer Li Fangping told AFP.
Li said the verdict was expected later this week in a case that is widely seen as a litmus test of China's pledge to use the Games to improve its human rights record.
Earlier Tuesday, China's Premier Wen Jiabao denied that Beijing was attempting to silence opponents of the communist regime ahead of the August 8-24 sporting extravaganza.
"As for the critics' view that China is trying to increase its efforts to arrest dissidents before the Olympic Games, I think such accusations are totally unfounded. There is no such question at all," Wen said at a press conference following the closure of China's annual session of parliament.
Hu is one of China's most prominent dissidents. He began his career in the 1990s as an AIDS volunteer and later turned his attention to government abuse of power.
His e-mails and Internet postings have publicised rights abuses throughout China and he has also played a prominent role in aiding other activists.
These included Yang Chunlin, a former factory worker who was put on trial for subversion in northeast Heilongjiang province last month after attracting 10,000 signatures to his petition entitled "We want human rights, not the Olympics."
Yang, 52, also represented by lawyer Li, has denied the charges and the court has yet to hand down a verdict.
Others detained recently include organisers of petitions calling on China's parliament to safeguard human rights and end corruption, according to activists.
The case against Hu focused on eight political articles, six posted by the activist himself on overseas websites such as Boxun, a forum for critics of the Chinese government, and two written by western reporters who interviewed him.
The prosecution alleges that Hu's articles and the interviews constituted incitement.
"We believe that he was just expressing a peaceful view which did not interfere with state power," Li said.
"Since we are now trying to establish a harmonious society, we should allow different voices to be heard. We hope the government will become more tolerant."
Questioned about Hu's case, Premier Wen said, "As for the individual case you have raised now, I want to make it very clear: China is a country under the rule of law and all those cases will be dealt with in accordance with the law."
On Monday the European Union joined the United States and other countries in urging China to release Hu, saying it was "deeply concerned" about his continued detention.
Although the government maintained Hu's trial would be open to the public, several of Hu's friends and relations were not allowed to attend the hearing.
His wife, Zeng Jinyan, also a prominent activist, has been under house arrest with their infant child at the couple's home since Hu was detained three months ago.
China's human rights record has come under intense international scrutiny in the build-up to the Olympics after unrest in Tibet, as well as limitations on media freedoms.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said last year that at least 30 journalists and 50 cyber-dissidents were being detained for work that angered Chinese authorities.
