NYT researcher Zhao Yan has a month to worry about whether he'll be found guilty of fraud and disclosing state secrets following a closed, one-day trial on Friday.

An excerpt from the NYT story:

If Mr. Zhao is found guilty, he could face more than 10 years in prison. He has already been held for 22 months. Acquittals are very rare in China, particularly in cases involving state secrets or national security. Under Chinese law, state secrets are defined extremely broadly to include almost any information relating to the workings of the government or the Communist Party.

After the trial, Mr. Mo said a judge sitting on the case had warned that the proceedings were also regarded as a state secret and could not be discussed outside the court. Defense lawyers were warned they would be held responsible for any leaks. Mr. Guan described the trial, but not the substance of the defense.

Jerome Cohen, an expert on the Chinese legal system from New York University Law School and an adviser to The Times on Mr. Zhao's case, said restrictions imposed on the defense because the case involved state secrets had eliminated any transparency in the proceedings.

"The lawyers are too scared to exchange information with each other, let alone their client," he said in a telephone interview in Beijing. "It's absurd."

Outside the court, Mr. Zhao's sister, Zhao Kun, and a group of his friends waited for news of the researcher. They had passes issued by court officials to enter the building, but said they had been barred from the hearing. "I've been here since 8 a.m. but I have not been able to see him," Ms. Zhao said.

Mr. Zhao, a longtime journalist and activist, was working in the Beijing bureau of The Times when he was arrested. The charges against him are linked to an article published in The Times on Sept. 7, 2004, which accurately predicted top-level leadership changes in the Communist Party. The Times also denies that Mr. Zhao disclosed state secrets.

Human rights groups have said the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Zhao raises concerns that he may be the victim of politically motivated charges.