Lawyer jailed for subverting state power

BEIJING: Zhou Shifeng, a lawyer in Beijing, was jailed for seven years by Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court for subverting state power.

Zhou said that he accepted the verdict.

The 52-year-old former director of Beijing Fengrui Law Firm played a major role in a group of activists who attempted to manipulate public opinion and damage national security by spreading subversive thoughts, the verdict said.

The trial yesterday received a large amount of public attention from both home and abroad.

The verdict said that Zhou colluded with Hu Shigen, the leader of an illegal organisation that broadcast subversive ideas, and activists Zhai Yanmin and Li Heping.

They used the law firm as a platform to encourage lawyers to highlight sensitive cases and hired protesters to disturb the judicial system, according to the verdict. — China Daily / Asia News Network