From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshow trialˈshow ˌtrial noun [countable] SCTan unfair trial that is organized by a government for political reasons, not in order to find out whether someone is guilty Stalin staged a series of show trials.
Examples from the Corpus
show trial• In 1989 he confessed at a show trial to trafficking in gold and ivory, and was shot.• The Party, you see, wanted a show trial.• After a brief show trial they were put in solitary confinement in appalling conditions until March this year. 