Chinese court set to rule on Bo Xilai appeal

Supporters of Mr Bo, in handcuffs, believe he is the victim of a political purge

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Bo Xilai scandal

• Will leaders regret Bo's fall?
• Profile: Bo Xilai
• Transparency or theatre?
• Key players

A Chinese court is set to rule on the appeal of disgraced top politician Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing Communist Party leader.

Bo was jailed for life in September on charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.

He was removed from office in 2012 amid a scandal which saw his wife convicted of a British businessman's murder.

The high court in Shandong, the province where Bo's trial was held, accepted his appeal earlier this month.

The Shandong Higher People's Court said on Monday that it would announce its decision on Friday morning, state-run Xinhua news agency said this week.

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Analysis

Celia HattonBBC News, Beijing

Bo Xilai probably knows that there is an infinitesimally small chance his life sentence will be overturned by the high court in Jinan. So why bother to go through the motions of an appeal?

Probably because he can. Bo launched an unexpectedly spirited defence of the charges against him during his initial trial. He is widely believed to have yelled "Unfair!" and "Unjust!" when the guilty verdict was announced.

The appeals court judge cannot increase Bo Xilai's original sentence based on the same evidence that was presented at the original trial, so Bo has little to lose by asking for his case to be reviewed.

However, it seems that Bo Xilai's time in the spotlight will soon be over. Technically, Bo only receives one chance to appeal in his case. After the high court in Jinan announces its decision, Bo's sentence will be final. The former Chongqing Party Secretary always has the opportunity to submit a complaint to the Supreme People's Court in Beijing. The vast majority of such complaints are rejected and do not result in another trial.

As one Chinese colleague in Beijing put it, Bo can keep complaining while he serves his prison sentence, if he wishes.

Tight security has been put in place around the court. Shortly before 10:00 (02:00 GMT) a convoy thought to be carrying Bo Xilai arrived at the court.

Shake-up

Bo Xilai, the charismatic former Communist Party chief in the city of Chongqing in south-western China, was a member of the powerful politburo - one of the 25 most senior party officials in the country.

He had been seen as a candidate for the very top, until his fall from grace. It was the biggest political shake-up to hit China's ruling elite in decades.

Bo was removed from office last year amid a scandal which began when his deputy, Wang Lijun, sought refuge in the US consulate in Chengdu.

The incident prompted an investigation into the death of British businessman Neil Heywood.

Bo Xilai's wife, Gu Kailai, was eventually convicted of Mr Heywood's murder - a crime caused, the court said, by a financial dispute.

Wang was also jailed for 15 years for helping Gu cover up the murder.

Bo himself was found guilty of taking bribes amounting to 20m yuan ($3.3m, £2m) either personally or through his family. He was also accused of abusing his office by using his position to cover up for his wife's crime.

Correspondents have said that it is almost certain that Bo's conviction will not be overturned. The courts are controlled by the ruling Communist Party, from which Bo was expelled from last year.

Bo's supporters however, believe he is the victim of a political purge.