Activists’ appeals rejected in Shandong
Shandong High People’s Court on November 24 rejected appeals from legal activist Xu Zhiyong (许志永) and lawyer Ding Jiaxi (丁家喜). The High Court upheld their convictions and sentences. The second instance trials were once again held at the Lishu County People’s Court.
Xu and Ding were founders of the New Citizens Movement. They were convicted of subversion by the Linyi Intermediate People’s Court on April 10, 2023. Xu was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment with four years of deprivation of political rights (DPR); Ding was sentenced to 12 years in prison with three years of DPR.
Trial of veteran democracy activist postponed for eleventh time
Xu Qin (徐秦)’s trial for inciting subversion has been postponed again for three months. It is reportedly the eleventh postponement. The Yangzhou Intermediate People’s Court issued a notice on November 2, 2023, and the trial is slated to resume on February 3, 2024. The postponement was approved by the Supreme People’s Court.
Xu, reportedly in poor health, is a veteran democracy activist. She co-founded Human Rights in China 中国人权观察 with Qin Yongming. She was detained on February 9, 2018, for picking quarrels and provoking trouble (PQPT), with the incitement charge added in March 2018. Xu was released on bail in August 2018, but was again placed in custody in November 2021.
Teacher in Hainan arrested for inciting subversion
Wu Kongda (吴孔大), a teacher of Hainan Anding County, was reportedly arrested for inciting subversion in Haikou. Wu was placed under administrative detention in June 2023 when he posted messages on WeChat expressing concern and support for former lawyers Wang Quanzhang and Li Heping, who were both facing evictions from their Beijing homes. Wu was reportedly arrested on October 10, 2023. However, the reason for his latest legal trouble is not clear.
Shanghai activist completes incitement sentence
Chen Jianfang (陈建芳), an activist in Shanghai, completed her four-and-a-half-year prison sentence on October 21, 2023. She was arrested in May 2019 and convicted in 2020 of inciting subversion. The Shanghai Number One Intermediate People’s Court found Chen guilty of receiving training and funds from overseas to smear China, gathering crowds to disrupt public space, and posting photos of protests on overseas websites. Her appeal was rejected by the Shanghai High People’s Court in August 2023.
Although Chen has been released, it is reported that she has been restricted from leaving home. Chen’s sentence also includes four years of DPR, which places her in the category of “targeted population” under the surveillance of police.