The founder of a Chinese law firm known for representing cases against the government has been sentenced to seven years in prison for subversion… His Fengrui law firm was involved in several high profile cases, including the 2008 tainted baby milk scandal…Around 300 lawyers and activists have been arrested since last year. About 20 are still detained. Two other activists - Hu Shigen and Zhai Yanmin - were convicted…under the same charge. Gou Hongguo is also expected to go on trial.

Amnesty International has accused the Chinese government of "relentless suppression of human rights lawyers and activists". "This wave of trials against lawyers and activists are a political charade. Their fate was sealed before they stepped into the courtroom," said Roseann Rife, East Asia Research Director at Amnesty International…

Prosecutors said he had worked "to encourage lawyers to highlight sensitive cases and hired protesters to disturb the judicial system". He also "played a major role in a group of activists who attempted to manipulate public opinion and damage national security by spreading subversive thoughts," state media quoted the verdict as saying…