Front Line has received reports from Human Rights in China (HRIC) that the Internet activist Du Daobin is going on trial on May 18 2004 in closed proceedings, and without the benefit of his chosen defense counsel.
According to sources in China, although Du Daobin’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, had presented the court with his schedule of commitments, he was notified just three days ago to present his defense statement on Du’s behalf at the Intermediate People’s Court in Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. Mo was unable to rearrange his other commitments on such short notice, and so will not be able to appear at the trial. Mo has had no option but to file his written statement with the court, depriving Du of effective oral argument and significantly weakening his defense. 
