China - Authorities destroyed the home of leading Chinese rights activist Ni Yulan on Friday in front of her distraught husband who pleaded with the government to release her from jail., Nov 21, 2008 (AFP) - Authorities

Up to 200 police surrounded the central Beijing courtyard home of activist lawyer Ni and her husband, Dong Jiqin, as a bulldozer demolished the final sections of the property.

Authorities had already razed some of it in April, the same time that Ni was arrested and charged with "harming public property", according to her lawyer.

"She was illegally arrested, beaten, jailed and illegally threatened to agree with this demolition."

Workers came knocking on the door early Friday morning, while police blocked both ends of the road leading to the home, refusing entry to those without proper identification.

Dong, 56, was able to grab only a plastic bag of legal documents before he was escorted out of the home.

Ni, 47, is a long-time campaigner against government-backed land grabs and had organised evicted residents to protest what they said were the "illegal forceful eviction and demolition of homes."

Such "land-grab" cases are one of the most sensitive social problems in China, with ordinary people nationwide accusing local officials of enriching themselves through collusion with developers in lucrative real estate deals.

Courtyard homes around Ni's house in Beijing's Xinjiekou area were demolished years ago to make way for government and commercial buildings, as well as apartment blocks.

Ni previously served a year in prison in 2002 for opposing evictions in Beijing and helping others petition the government in similar cases.

She was then arrested in April after campaigning to save her own home.

Officials at the court which ordered the demolition refused to comment on the case on Friday but an employee of the Xicheng government told AFP at the scene that the demolition was legal.

"This home is being forcibly demolished in accordance with the law," said the official, who refused to identify himself.

The demolition comes after the former head of the Xicheng court, Guo Shenggui, was sentenced to death last month after being convicted of taking bribes in cases mostly related to building projects in the area.

It also comes after China's top law enforcement official, Zhou Yongkang, vowed in recent speeches to protect the rights of ordinary citizens in land grab cases and in petitioning the government.

Dong said he believed Guo had overseen the orders to destroy their home and jail Ni before the court chief's downfall.

Ni's lawyer, Hu Xiao, said there had been no documented evidence to support this but that he hoped Guo's demise would eventually help the people who fell victim to his corruption.

"Guo's conviction has had a positive influence in Beijing legal circles," Hu told AFP.

"We just hope that the government will also fairly address those ordinary people that he wronged."

Ni has been in jail for more than 200 days and Hu said no trial date had been set despite repeated requests for a trial date.

Meanwhile, Dong said he had nowhere to live, and would likely have to seek help from relatives.

He said officials had posted a notice on his door last week saying he would be given an apartment somewhere else in Beijing as compensation, but no official had spoken to him about this and he had few details about the offer.