Poet #WangZang, who has been detained on 30 May 2020, and his wife #WangLi are both indicted for “inciting subversion of state power” by the procuratorate and their case will be transferred to Chuxiong Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court on 14 December. Lawyer Lu Siwei said he will contact the court and point out that it’s illegal for the detention centre to block lawyers’ access to Wang Zang and Wang Li. Wang Zang had been detained for nine months for organizing a poetry recital in support of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement in 2014.
Name: Wang Zang (original name: Wang Yuwen) (中文姓名：王藏, 原名王玉文)
Year of birth: 1985 Occupation: Poet, artist
Date of detention: 30 May 2020 Location: Police took him away from his home in Chuxiong City, Yunnan Province Ground of detention: Inciting subversion of state power
Date of formal arrest: 3 July 2020 Date of Indictment: mid-September 2020; on 14 December 2020, the procuratorate submitted Wang Zang and his wife Wang Li’s case to Chuxiong Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court for indictment of “inciting subversion of state power.
Legal representation: Lu Siwei, Zhang Lei
Date of trial: Verdict: Sentence: Location of imprisonment: Chuxiong City Detention Centre
Description:
Wang was detained on 30 May 2020 on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” His family doesn’t have any information about his whereabouts despite multiple visits to the local police station. On 8 and 11 June, his wife Wang Li tweeted a plea for help as police stole her belongings (bank card, identity card and Wang Zang’s passport) and threatened to take her away. Wang Li and his brother were ordered to go to the local police station and could not be reached since 17 June 2020. Mrs Wang has been suffering from mental problems since 2017, due to surveillance and threats the authority keeps pressing on her and her four young children.
In early September, some activists posted two notices of arrest on social media, showing that Wang Zang was formally arrested on 3 July 2020 and his wife Wang Li on 24 July 2020, by the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Procuratorate, on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” Wang Li was arrested and charged simply because she sought help for her husband. On 17 September, his lawyers Lu Siwei and Zhang Lei met with Wang Zang at the detention centre. Wang expressed his gratitude for all the support, but is worried about his wife Wang Li, who is also arrested, and their four children. The four young children (a 11-year-old son, a 7-year-old daughter, a pair of 3-year-old twins) are taken care by Wang Zang’s mother. It is unclear if the children could attend schools or if they are confined at home. Their conditions are worrisome.
On 16 October 2020, Lawyer Lu went to visit Wang Zang again. Wang Zang was very angry that his wife Wang Li was also detained. Wang also learned that Wang Li was suffering from serious anemia and was sent to a hospital outside the detention centre. Chuxiong police told him that they could release Wang Li if he would admit to his crime. The officials in the detention centre also warned him that he should think about whether it would lead to even worse results if he continues hiring the two lawyers. But Wang Zang insisted that he won’t dismiss the lawyers.
On 14 December 2020, Lawyer Lu Siwei telephoned Chuxiong Prefecture Procuratorate and confirmed that the procuratorate submitted Wang Zang and his wife Wang Li’s case to Chuxiong Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court for indictment of “inciting subversion of state power”. Lawyer Lu said he would contact the court and point out that it is illegal for the Chuxiong Detention Centre to block lawyers’ access to Wang Zang and Wang Li.
Wang Zang, a mainland poet who promoted free speech and democracy through his artwork and expressed support for detained activists since 2003. He had been detained for nine months for organizing a poetry recital in support of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement in 2014. After his release, he was forced to leave Beijing and return to his hometown in Yunnan Province. Surveillance and harassment from the authority continued to take place in his home in Yunnan Province.
Updated on: 14 December 2020
Name: Wang Li (original name: Wang Liqin) (中文姓名：王麗，原名：王莉芹)
Year of birth: Occupation: Wife of Wang Zang, he is a poet, an artist and an activist
Date of detention: She was ordered to go to the local police station and could not be reached since 17 June 2020. Location: Unknown. Ground of detention: Inciting subversion of state power Date of formal arrest: 24 July 2020 Date of Indictment:
Legal representation:
Date of trial: Verdict: Sentence: Location of imprisonment: Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Detention Centre
Description:
The Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Procuratorate in Yunan province approved the formal arrest of Poet Wang Zang’s wife Wang Li on 24 July 2020, on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” Wang Li was arrested and charged simply because she sought help for her husband. Their four young children (a 11-year-old son, a 7-year-old daughter, a pair of 3-year-old twins) are taken care by Wang Zang’s mother. It is unclear if the children could attend schools or are confined at home. Wang Li and Wang Zang’s conditions are worrisome.
Wang Zang, a mainland poet who promoted free speech and democracy through his artwork and expressed support for detained activists since 2003. He had been detained for nine months for organizing a poetry recital in support of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement in 2014. After his release, he was forced to leave Beijing and return to his hometown in Yunnan Province. Surveillance and harassment from the authority continued to take place in his home in Yunnan Province.
Wang Zang was detained on 30 May 2020 on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” His family didn’t have any information about his whereabouts despite multiple visits to the local police station. On 8 and 11 June, his wife Wang Li tweeted a plea for help as police stole her belongings (bank card, identity card and Wang Zang’s passport) and threatened to take her away. Wang Li and his brother were ordered to go to the local police station and could not be reached since 17 June 2020. Mrs Wang has been suffering from mental problems since 2017, due to surveillance and threats the authority keeps pressing on her and her four young children. She was hospitalized in Beijing and recovered in the last two years. Since Wang’s detention in May this year, she fainted and suffered from several mental breakdowns.
In early September, some activists posted two notices of arrest on social media, showing that Wang Zang was also formally arrested on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power” on 3 July 2020.
On 2 October 2020, #HeFangmei, who fights for her daughter and other victims of substandard vaccinations, splashed ink on the door plates of Hui county government building to express frustration at the authorities’ refusal to hold the vaccine manufacturers accountable. She was arrested by local police on suspicion of“picking quarrels and provoking trouble”and was sentenced to administrative detention for 10 days, though it was not enforced due to her pregnancy. On 9 October, she splashed ink again on the Hui County government building and since then, she has disappeared.
Date of birth: 8 October 1985 Occupation: She became an advocate for vaccination safety after her daughter was diagnosed with a neurological disease after receiving vaccinations
Date of detention: disappeared since 9 October 2020, after she splashed ink on the door plate of the county government in Hui County, Henan Province Location: Hui County, Henan Province Ground of detention:
Date of formal arrest: Date of Indictment:
Legal representation:
Date of trial: Date of sentencing: Verdict: Sentence: Location of detention/imprisonment: unclear
Description: In March 2018, He Fangmei’s daughter, Li Qi (born 2016) became paralyzed and was diagnosed with transverse myelitis after receiving faulty vaccinations for Hepatitis A, measles and other illnesses. Realizing that many other children had suffered from faulty vaccinations, He Fangmei and her husband Li Xin subsequently organized a group of 500 parents with children sickened by vaccinations, calling it“Vaccine Babies’ Home”. The parents jointly sought accountability, financial compensation and started legal action against authorities. However, they kept facing harassment and crackdowns.
On 4 March 2019, He Fangmei launched a fund-raising campaign for the victims in Beijing during the Two Sessions (meetings of National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)) and was first detained by the Beijing police. Police officers from Hui County, where she is from, went to Beijing and took her back to Henan Province for a 15-day administrative detention. After then, she was criminally detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. On 10 January 2020, the County prosecutors dropped the charges against her and the court canceled the case. She was released after ten months of not seeing her two young children.
He Fangmei continued to fight for the children who got sick because of faulty vaccinations. On 16 April 2020, she successfully sued the Hui County’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention over the faulty vaccines given to her daughter in 2018. The court ordered the Center to disclose the information of the vaccinations her daughter had received. However, the local authorities continued to harass her. It did not allow her family to leave Henan Province, fearing that they could take their daughter to Beijing for medical treatment and protest in the capital.
Her husband Li Xin has gone missing since 16 August 2020. He was in a hospital, taking care of his father, who had been hospitalized due to cerebral infarction. The state security guards of the city public security bureau, local police officers and staff of village committee were taking a 24-hour-shift to look after Li when he went missing. He Fangmei suspected Li was forced to disappear because he wanted to take their daughter to Beijing for medical treatment. He Fangmei has been vocal and critical regarding China’s COVID vaccine deployment. She pointed out that the new Covid vaccine is mainly developed by China National Biotec Group Company, which is also the parent company of Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., and her daughter became sick after being vaccinated from its product. The company is protected by the government and turned a blind eye to its victims. He Fangmei cast doubts to its quality and accountability. She also questioned the confidentiality agreement that vaccine-receivers were forced to sign. She said, “In principle, the information should be open and transparent. We should be told what the side effects of this vaccine are, what adverse reactions will occur, and how to get rescue or treatment if these adverse reactions occur. Why should one be forced to sign a confidentiality agreement instead?"
On 2 October 2020, she splashed ink on the door plates of Hui county government building to express frustration at the authorities’ refusal to hold the vaccine manufacturers accountable. She was arrested by local police on suspicion of“picking quarrels and provoking trouble”and was sentenced to administrative detention for 10 days, though it was not enforced due to her pregnancy. On 9 October, she splashed ink again on the Hui County government building and since then, she has disappeared.
For more information: He Fangmei’s twitter account: https://twitter.com/hefangmei2019 (it is now being administrated by her friend, since her disappearance)
ZhangZhan went to Wuhan on or around 1 February 2020 to report about the location COVID-19 pandemic situation, live broadcasting on her WeChat, Twitter (@consultorzhang) and YouTube accounts. She also provided assistance to those affected by the pandemic. Her live broadcast on the ground led to retaliation from the government. On 14 May 2020, she was taken back from Wuhan to Shanghai and later criminally detained on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. She was formally arrested in June. Recently, Zhang Zhan’s indictment has been circulated online. Without any trial date being set, the procuratorate even suggested the court to sentence Zhang Zhan to up to five years imprisonment.
Date of birth: 2 September 1983 Occupation: Citizen journalist, former lawyer
Date of detention: Taken away on 14 May 2020, criminally detained on 15 May 2020, formally arrested on 19 June 2020 and indicted on 18 August 2020 Location: Was taken back from Wuhan to Shanghai Ground of detention: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble
Date of formal arrest: Date of Indictment:
Legal representation: The unit handling her case showed a legal representation agreement from Zhang Zhan in June 2020 asking to hire Dai Peiqing as her lawyer. When her case was transferred to the procuratorate, Zhang Zhan’s mother hired lawyer Ren Quanniu to jointly represent Zhang Zhan. But Ren was not allowed to visit Zhang Zhan. The national security police forced Zhang Zhan’s mother to dismiss Ren Quanniu. Zhang Zhan hired lawyer Wen Yu to jointly represent her. Currently, Zhang Zhan’s lawyers are Dai Peiqing and Wen Yu.
Date of trial: Date of sentencing: Verdict: Sentence: Location of detention/imprisonment: Pudong New District Detention Centre in Shanghai
Description: Taking the role of a citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan went to Wuhan on or around 1 February 2020 to report about the location COVID-19 pandemic situation, live broadcasting on her WeChat, Twitter (@consultorzhang) and YouTube accounts. She also provided assistance to those affected by the pandemic. Her live broadcast on the ground led to retaliation from the government. On 14 May 2020, she was taken back from Wuhan to Shanghai. On 15 May, the Pudong Branch of Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau criminally detained her on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Zhang Zhan’s family received a notification of her formal arrest on 20 June. Pudong New District Procuratorate in Shanghai on 19 June approved the formal arrest of Zhang Zhan for the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Zhang Zhan is currently detained at Pudong New District Detention Centre in Shanghai.
On 28 September, when Zhang Zhan met with her lawyer, her lawyer discovered that Zhang Zhan had lost a lot of weight. As a protest to refuse to admit to committing the offense, Zhang Zhan staged a hunger strike for over one month. Two or three officials at the detention centre forced fed Zhang Zhan with congee or liquid food every day but Zhang Zhan still refused to eat anything. Her health condition is worrying.
On 13 November 2020, Zhang Zhan’s indictment was circulated on the internet. According to the indictment, the authorities accused her of disseminating false information about the COVID-19 pandemic on WeChat, Twitter and YouTube and receiving interviews with overseas media, claiming that Zhang Zhan’s behaviours had caused serious public disorder. The indictment also included a list of witnesses to substantiate the allegations. In a rare move, the procuratorate also issued a recommendation on sentencing for her case. Even before any trial date being fixed, the procuratorate already suggested that the court should sentence Zhang Zhan to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Since 2019, Zhang Zhan retweeted a lot of videos and infographics about the Anti-Extradition Bill movement in Hong Kong on WeChat and other online platforms. She also conducted performing arts and held placards to support the protests. On 9 September 2019, she was summoned by Shanghai police for interrogation. She went missing afterwards. Later, her family was told that Zhang Zhan was criminally detained on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Her father was intimidated and did not want to disclose information about her detention. Zhang Zhan was released on 26 November 2019. According to sources, she was was twice forcibly diagnosed for “mental assessment” during detention.
Zhang Zhan was a former lawyer. Her legal practice was suspended after she took part in human rights activities and signed the campaign to call for amending the Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law.
#ZhangBaocheng was sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment and fined RMB 2000 for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and “promoting terrorism and extremism”. He is expected to be released from prison on 26 November 2022. He was accused of posting over 2000 online messages criticizing government leaders and splitting the state and spreading one online video about terrorism and extremism between August 2018 and May 2019. Since 2009, he has been active in democratic movement and human rights movement in China.
Date of detention: Seized by police on 28 May 2019 and his home was raided by the police (the police claimed they were searching for pistols) Location: Beijing Ground of detention: Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble, Promoting Terrorism, Extremism and Inciting Terrorist Activities Date of formal arrest: 4 July 2019 Date of Indictment: 30 December 2019
Legal representation: Lu Tingge
Date of trial: 18 August 2020 Verdict: Convicted of “Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble” and “Promoting Terrorism and Extremism” Sentence: Sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and 8 months for “promoting terrorism and extremism” and fined RMB 2000. The sentence was combined to 3.5 years imprisonment and a fine of RMB 2000. He is expected to be released from prison on 26 November 2022. Location of detention/imprisonment: Fengtai Detention Centre, Beijing
Description: Veteran activist Zhang Baocheng was taken away by Beijing police on 28 May 2019, shortly before the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, and his home was raided. He was immediately criminally detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. On 4 July 2019, he was formally arrested with additional charges of “promoting terrorism, extremism and inciting terrorist activities”.
Zhang was indicted by the Beijing No. 2 People’s Procuratorate on 30 December 2019. According to the indictment, the allegations against him were based on over 2000 online messages criticizing government leaders and splitting the state and spreading one online video about terrorism and extremism between August 2018 and May 2019.
Zhang’s trial was held on 18 August 2020, nearly 15 months after he was first detained, at Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court. His friends were not allowed to come to his hearing. He is currently detained at Fengtai Detention Centre in Beijing.
On 10 November 2020, Zhang Baocheng was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and 8 months for “promoting terrorism and extremism” and fined RMB 2000. The sentence was combined to 3.5 years imprisonment and a fine of RMB 2000. He is expected to be released from prison on 26 November 2022.
Zhang Baocheng is a long-time activist. He was one of the ten activists who held placards at Xidan Square in Beijing during the New Citizens’ Movement. Since 2009, he has been active in democratic movement and human rights movement in China. He has been frequently detained by the authorities since 2011, including being criminally detained for “illegal assembly” with fellow activist Yuan Dong and others by Beijing police and detained at Haidian District Detention Centre on 1 April 2013. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment for “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place” by the Haidian District Court in Beijing on 17 April 2014. He was released from prison on 30 March 2015. He was reportedly ill-treated during detention.
On 9 October 2017, when lawyer #LiYuhan went to Shenyang City of Liaoning Province to handle a case for a client, she was taken away from the railway station by the police from Heping District of Shenyang Public Security Bureau. On 31 October 2017, she was put under criminal detention for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles”. She has been detained for over three years but no trial date has yet been set. She suffers from 7 illnesses. Her situation is worrying.
Date of birth: 9 October1957 Occupation: Human rights lawyer
Date of detention: 9 October 2017 Location: Li Yuhan went to Shenyang City, Liaoning Province to handle a case for a client. She was taken away by the police from the Heping District of Shenyang Public Security Bureau. Ground of detention: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble
Date of formal arrest: 15 November 2017. She was officially arrested by Shenyang City’s Heping District Procuratorate on the same charge. Date of Indictment: In March 2018, she was additionally charged with fraud. The two charges laid against her were transferred to the procuratorate for consideration of indictment.
Legal representation: Her lawyers were formerly Ma Wei and Wu Li. Li Yuhan were worried about the pressure and risk the two lawyers would face and terminated their representation on 18 April 2020. Her current lawyer is Lin Qilei
Date of trial: The trial was first scheduled to be held on 9 April 2019 but was canceled shortly before then. Her trial has been rescheduled for several times. She has been detained for more than three years and no hearing has ever taken place. Date of sentencing: Verdict: Sentence: Location of detention/imprisonment: No. 1 Detention Centre of Shenyang City
Description: Li Yuhan became a lawyer in 1990 and began to practice in her home province Liaoning in 1991. Over the years, she has been suppressed and persecuted by the authorities for her engagement in cases defending human rights. In 2006, after exposing a mafia head in Shenyang, who was “protected” by the Heping District police, Li was kidnapped, detained and physically assaulted by the authorities. In 2009, in order to escape the persecution from police in Liaoning Province, she went to work in Beijing and began to practice in Beijing Dunxin Law Firm.
During the 709 Crackdown in 2015, Lawyer Li represented Lawyer Wang Yu (王宇), the major target in a campaign of mass arrests against human rights lawyers in China. Since then, she was under constant surveillance.
On 9 October 2017, when she went to Shenyang City of Liaoning Province to handle a case for a client, she was taken away from the railway station by the police from the Heping District of the Shenyang Public Security Bureau, who had been planning for retaliation over the years. On 31 October 2017, she was put under criminal detention for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles"; on 15 November, she was formally arrested by the Heping District Procuratorate of Shenyang City on the same charge. In March 2018, she was additionally charged with fraud and the two charges were transferred to the procuratorate. The first hearing was originally scheduled to be held on 9 April 2019 at the Heping District Court of Shenyang City, but was canceled shortly before then. It has been three years since her detention, she has neither been tried or judged.
Li Yuhan is over 60 years old and suffers from seven medical conditions: arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, unstable angina, hyperthyroidism, acute erosive gastritis, cerebral concussion (from violent assaults due to her work), and cerebral ischemia. Over 80 human rights lawyers and dissidents jointly signed a statement demanding the Shenyang police to release Li Yuhan as they were particularly concerned about her health.
Li has made serious allegations of torture from the detention center guards and other detainees. They forced to take shower with cold water in winter, gave her very little food, refused her family to give her medicine. They would put her vegetables and fruits on the toilet floor, urinated on them at will, before they gave them to Li. Her family was not allowed to send her money to spend in the detention centre.
On 4 June 2020, her lawyers Ma Wei, Wu Li and her family demanded to visit her in the No.1 Detention Center of Shenyang City. The two lawyers were told that Li Yuhan had terminated their representation, they demanded to hear it directly from Li. Li confirmed that she terminated their representation on 18 April 2020, as she worried her lawyers would face enormous pressure from the authority. However, the authority failed to inform her lawyers. Her current lawyer is Lin Qilei
Lawyer Lin met with Li Yuhan on 27 October 2020. Li Yuhan believes that the charge of provoking quarrels is completely unfounded and the so-called fraud is a ridiculous accusation, they are simply made up to crack her down and stop her from defending human rights. The fact that such a simple case could have taken more than three years without any outcome confirms that it is groundless. She refused the judicial authorities’ offer to write a “confession letter" in exchange for earlier release and would plead not guilty, if a hearing would take place.
Due to the overdue custody, her lawyers applied to the court for bail pending trial; they also applied for medical parole due to her health condition, both of the applications were not granted.
