The trials of at least eight people associated with the New Citizens Movement will begin this week in Beijing. The New Citizens Movement is a loose collection of Chinese citizens who promote constitutionalism and have urged Communist Party officials to disclose their personal wealth. 

Xu Zhiyong, the most prominent of the accused, will face trial on Wednesday. Charges leveled against the activists range from “unfurling banners, issuing leaflets, and using an amplifier to give speeches” to “assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public space.”

Six attorneys representing three participants in the New Citizens Movement were harassed and beaten by a mob of 200 to 300 men after leaving court on Wednesday. Prominent human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang said he believed that the attackers were government-hired thugs.

The three defendants were charged with illegal assembly and “using an evil cult to undermine the law” on account of their efforts to encourage Chinese government officials to publicly disclose their assets. If convicted, the defendants face up to ten years in jail.