“Hu, a prominent blogger and human rights activist, had been disseminating information about peasant protests, dissidents and other issues often censored in the Chinese media. At different times, Hu and his wife, also a blogger, were under house arrest. During one confinement, Hu videotaped state security officers loitering outside his apartment in a short documentary he titled ‘Prisoners in Freedom City’.”

Hu has now been tried on subversion charges centering on whether his public criticism of the ruling Communist Party represented a threat to the state.

His case has become an international cause célèbre for many human rights groups which, “contend that the Communist Party is rounding up dissidents to silence criticism of the government before the Olympics in Beijing in August,” says the New York Times.

On Monday, the European Union presidency asked China to release Hu, saying his arrest, “undermined the principle of free speech enshrined in the Chinese Constitution,” says the story, continuing:

“Mr. Hu’s short morning trial coincided with a news conference by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao that closed the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress. Asked about Mr. Hu’s case, the prime minister denied that the government was trying to silence dissent. ‘As for critics’ view that China is trying to increase its efforts to arrest dissidents ahead of the Olympic Games, I think all these accusations are unfounded,’ Mr. Wen said.”

Hu Jia’s trial is is a “sham” and, “part of an ongoing pattern of politicized prosecutions that call into question the independence and fairness of the legal system,” says Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China.

“The government’s deployment today of authoritarian tools of social control to maintain a climate of fear and self-censorship - a climate in which any criticism can be labeled subversive - guts freedom of expression protected in China’s Constitution and under international human rights law,” she says.

“Authorities are tightly controlling access to Hu by the media, his family, and others.

“Reportedly, police restricted the movement of rights defense lawyer Teng Biao and Hu’s wife Zeng Jinyan to prevent them from attempting to attend the trial. Media reports state that people were turned away from the trial after being told that the case was ’sensitive’; only a few people were reportedly allowed entry, including Hu’s mother.

“Additionally, Hu Jia was indicted by the procuratorate after a very short investigation period, and, according to Hu’s lawyers, the documents issued by the Public Security Bureau and the procuratorate were virtually the same, calling into question the reliability and depth of the inquiry.”