Rights of defendants in subversion case protected

As a high-profile case involving a group of activists accused of subverting State power was heard in Tianjin, an official of the municipal detention house said that all defendants have been given legal protection in line with laws.

Huang Bin, director of the city's No 1 Detention House, highlighted the importance of protecting defendants' rights and made the comments when he responded to a social media account under Tianjin Daily on Wednesday.

Since Tuesday, the group of activists, including Hu Shigen and Zhai Yanmin, have stood trial at Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court. Before the trials, they were detained in the detention house.

So far, Hu, 61, leader of an illegal organization, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for subversion after he broadcast subversive thoughts to others by making use of the organization to conduct activities, the court said.

Hu also had been sentenced to 20 years for leading "counter-revolutionary" activities in 1994 and was released in 2008 for a sentence reduction, according to the court.

Zhai, 55, was sentenced to three years in jail with a four-year reprieve for the same charge after he was led by Hu to organize petitioners to protest the government several times and harm the nation's security, the court said.

Both said that they accepted the verdicts and will not appeal to a higher court. As their case hearings were broadcast via television, which aimed to ensure transparent judicial proceedings, many netizens found that they were in good condition and looked good, according to Huang.

Their condition was attributed to better legal protection as they were in the detention house, Huang explained.

"We first made a completed health check before the involved activists were brought to the detention house, and established a health file for everyone," he said.

"We provided them with a health review at the beginning and later did a similar physical check every six months," he added.

Take Hu, for example. "He has some heart diseases and was having difficulty in breathing. Doctors checked him twice a day and made sure he could take medicines on time. As he felt bad, we also sent him to a public security hospital and looked after him," the director said.

Hu confirmed that in his final statement during the trial today.

Huang said that all defendants should be given protection in accordance with laws, although they were accused or committed crimes.

"Seeing a doctor and receiving health checks are their right," he said.

In addition, every defendant can be allowed to buy life necessities, such as food, clothes and shoes, through the detention house.

"We have also installed air conditioners for suspects and those who will be freed or stand trial in rooms and helped them celebrate their birthdays, if necessary," he added.