Gu Kailai Trial Lasts Four Hours

The highly secretive trial of Gu Kailai and her household aide, Zhang Xiaojun, began on Thursday and was over in four hours. The pair is accused of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood. It is not known when the verdict is expected to be announced, but neither Gu nor her aide contested the murder charges. International media were barred from the trial. A human-rights expert said that it is not uncommon for criminal trials in China to be resolved quickly. “Frankly, in my experience, it’s very unusual for criminal trials (in China) to extend beyond a day.”