He Depu, 47, was one of the few outspoken Chinese dissidents not imprisoned or exiled before he was detained in November 2002 ahead of the ruling Communist Party's 16th Party Congress.

He was formally arrested this March on charges of "inciting subversion of state power".

His lawyer had recently notified his family that He would be tried shortly after October 1, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a statement.

October 1-7 is China's National Day holiday, so He would most likely be tried after October 8, the Hong Kong-based Center said.

He's relatives said Monday they had not received notice of a trial from the police or court and were anxiously awaiting word of him.

"Since he was locked up in November, we have not been allowed to see him... Based on Chinese law, they must try a suspect within three months after he is arrested," said He's elder brother He Dechang.

"We don't know how many years he will face. We hope he can be released soon. We believe he's innocent."

Court officials declined to comment.

He is being held in Beijing's Qincheng Prison, used to house high-level political prisoners, the Center said.

While officials have never explained He's detention, the Center believes his arrest was linked to essays written by him and posted on the Internet and his participation in the outlawed China Democracy Party, which has had some 50 of its members jailed in recent years.

In November He and other dissidents were rounded up by police after signing a petition urging the Communist Party to implement greater democracy at the key Party Congress that month.

A former researcher at the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, He was a founding member of the outlawed China Democracy Party and remained vocal as head of the party's Beijing branch even after other key leaders were jailed in 1998.

Other dissidents arrested with He and also charged with inciting the overthrow of state power include Zhao Changqing, Ouyang Yi, Dai Xuezhong and Jiang Lijun.

The Center Monday condemned the planned trial of He, saying China was treating dissidents as pawns in its negotiations with Western countries, such as the United States, which criticizes China over its human rights violations.

"The Chinese Communist Party in recent months has released important dissidents, including Tibetan dissidents. At the same time, next month, the Chinese Communist Party will try a large number of dissidents.

"The Chinese Communists' game of release and arrest has begun again," the Center said.