China Dissident Trial

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- A Christmas Day verdict is expected in the trial of prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobao, which began Wednesday.

If found guilty -- a likely prospect -- he could face as long as 15 years in prison.

Liu was in custody for more than a year awaiting trial, charged with "inciting subversion of state power." Liu was a co-author of Charter 08 a document calling for extensive legal and political reform in China. He was arrested shortly after its publication on the Internet.

The charter publication coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among its demands was a call for an end to one-party rule.

Liu, a writer and former professor, has been a longtime critic of China's government. He took part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest.

The case has sparked strong international protests from Western governments and international human rights groups. The United States and European Union have called for Liu's release. Human Rights Watch called the trial, which was completed in one day according to Liu's lawyer, "a travesty of justice."

China's foreign ministry responded angrily to the criticism saying statements from several embassies in Beijing were a "gross interference" in China's internal affairs. Diplomats from more than a dozen countries were denied entry to Liu's trial Wednesday.