Guo Feixiong's Trial and Current Status

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUANGZHOU 000797

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

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STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2032
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINR CH
SUBJECT: Guo Feixiong's Trial and Current Status


1. (U) Classified by Consul General Robert Goldberg for
reason 1.4 (d).


2. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Democracy activist Guo Feixiong
stood trial July 9 on charges of "illegal business
activity," but the content and nature of the proceedings
belied the political character of his prosecution. Guo
remains imprisoned in Guangzhou, awaiting sentencing. END
SUMMARY AND COMMENT


3. (C) Guo Feixiong's wife, Zhang Qing, and democracy
activist Tang Jingling on July 12 and 13, respectively,
discussed the July 9 trial and current situation of Guo
Feixiong with Congen Poloff.

The Trial
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4. (C) Zhang noted that on the day of the trial the Tianhe
District Court had erected a new security screening station
on the fourth floor of the courthouse where Guo's courtroom
was located. There had been no such station when Zhang
visited three days earlier.


5. (C) Post had secured permission to attend Guo's original
trial date of June 15, but the trial was subsequently
postponed. When the new trial date of July 9 was
announced, post once again requested permission to attend,
but was refused. Zhang requested ten seats at the trial,
but was only allocated two: one for her, and one for Guo's
elder brother. Though a total of about nineteen people
observed the trial, Zhang suspected the others to be from
public security organs or the courts. She noticed at least
six of them fell asleep during the proceedings.


6. (C) During the hearing, Guo complained about his
mistreatment in prison, and claimed that his trial was a
political persecution. Though he was charged with the crime
of "illegal business activity," approximately ninety
percent of the court's questions pertained to his
involvement in the Taishi village incident. To protest the
proceedings, Guo answered only his lawyer's questions,
refusing to respond to questions by the procurator or the
judge. Guo's plan to read a ten-page, handwritten,
statement to the court was denied by the judge, who ruled
that Guo's statement did not relate to his actual charges.
(The statement outlined abuses suffered in prison and his
argument against the legitimacy of the proceedings.) The
court did not indicate when a sentence would be announced.

Current Conditions
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7. (C) Zhang said Guo appeared moderately healthy at the
time of his trial. Neither she nor others are currently
permitted to visit Guo, who is incarcerated in Guangzhou.
Both Zhang and Tang said Guo hoped his situation would
attract international attention and support for China's
democracy movement. Tang noted that the authorities had
pressured Zhang and other members of Guo's family to
convince Guo to confess to the charges against him. Tang
stated that Zhang and Guo's other relatives support Guo for
family reasons, and are not members of the democracy
movement.

GOLDBERG