A high-profile Chinese human rights lawyer detained more than three years ago is facing trial Wednesday, the latest prominent detainee sent to court by the ruling Communist Party over the Christmas period.
Wang Quanzhang was taken into custody in July 2015, one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained as part of a mass crackdown on human rights defenders across China.
Wang, known for his advocacy of practitioners of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and Christians, is the last lawyer still behind bars as part of the sweep.
As the trial was taking place, protesters, some of whom had traveled from other cities, gathered outside the court in Tianjin.
Many were quickly bundled into police cars and taken away amid a heavy security presence surrounding the court. Read more