Xu Zhiyong: Chinese rights activist who said Xi Jinping 'not smart enough' tried in secret for subversion

The move comes as the ruling Communist Party doubles down on stifling dissent ahead of a key meeting this fall when Xi is expected to further tighten his grip on power with an almost unprecedented third term. Xu Zhiyong, a veteran civil rights activist and legal scholar, pleaded not guilty in front of a local court in Linshu county, eastern Shandong province, in a day-long hearing that was closed to the public on the grounds that "it involved state secrets." A person with direct knowledge of the case said the court said at the end of the trial that sentencing…