Liu Xiaobo: China's Top Pro-Democracy Dissident Goes on Trial

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The trial of leading Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo for 'state subversion' lasted just a few hours Wednesday as supporters and diplomats barred from attending thronged the courtroom in near- freezing cold. A verdict is expected Friday.

The subversion trial of Liu Xiaobo, China's most prominent dissident,

opened and shut in Beijing on Wednesday in strict secrecy without an

immediate outcome. The verdict is now expected to be postponed until

Christmas Day.

The delay and the degree of secrecy - even Mr. Liu's wife was

barred from the courtroom - contrast sharply with the widespread

international attention that the case against the …