A Chinese dissident arrested 12 months ago after publishing an appeal for multi-party democracy in China has been indicted on charges of incitement to subvert state power, the Financial Times reported. Liu Xiaobo, a 53-year-old former literature professor, faces up to 15 years in jail if he is found guilty. Liu was arrested after he co-authored Charter 08, an appeal to the government to "end the practice of treating words as crimes." His lawyers claim that Liu has been given 10 days to prepare his defence and that the trial could begin any time after that. Liu Xia, his wife, has not been allowed to see her husband since he was detained, but his lawyers expect to be allowed to see him on Monday. A prominent activist, Liu entered the spotlight during the Tianamen student movement two-decades ago and has been actively calling for government reform since then.
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