Chinese journalist Gao Yu goes on trial on Friday accused of leaking an internal Communist Party document. She faces a life sentence. What has Ms Gao done to anger Chinese leaders?
At the time, it was an astonishing confession. Gao Yu, a highly respected freelance journalist, was shown on national television in China, admitting she made a “big mistake”.
Her face digitally blurred, she admitted to stealing a confidential Communist Party document and sending it to a foreign news website.
Even then, many suspected that the 70-year-old Ms Gao had been forced into confessing her guilt.
And now we know more: in a recent pre-trial hearing, Ms Gao told the court that she falsely admitted to a crime because police were threatening to arrest her son.
He had been detained at the same time as his mother. She did not know the “confession” would be televised.
