Top China dissident faces subversion charge: lawyer

[Coventina]

Source: AFP

BEIJING — Chinese police have recommended prosecutors formally charge top dissident Liu Xiaobo with inciting subversion, his lawyer told AFP on Wednesday, as Liu marked a year in detention without an indictment.

Attorney Shang Baojun said Beijing police had passed the case to prosecutors after 12 months of legal limbo for Liu, who was detained on December 8, 2008 after co-authoring Charter 08, a bold manifesto urging political reform.

"The public security organs feel the procuratorate should charge him and have recommended that they do so," Shang said after seeing a copy of the recommendation.

Shang said the recommended charge was "inciting subversion of state power".

The charge is routinely brought against those who voice opposition to the ruling Communist Party.

"It is two-fold. One part relates to Charter 08 while the other relates to articles of his posted on the Internet after 2005," Shang said.



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In solidarity with Liu Xiaobo....