On 18 January 2018, human rights lawyer #YuWensheng published an open letter recommending amendments to the Chinese constitution, calling for fair elections and an oversight system for the Chinese Communist Party, amongst other reforms. The next day, a dozen of police officers took him away outside his home in Beijing. After repeatedly asking the authorities about Yu’s situation, Yu’s wife Xu Yan eventually received a call from Xuzhou City Procuratorate on 17 June 2020, who informed her that Yu was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ deprivation of political rights. On 13 August 2020, Yu’s lawyer Lu Siwei was finally allowed to read the documents related to his case in the Higher People’s Court of Jiangsu Province. When the lawyer met with Yu the next day, he noticed that Yu’s right hand was trembling so much that he could no longer write with that hand, and had to learn to write using his left hand. He also has dental problem, making it difficult to consume food. Since his detention in early 2018, he has not been allowed to see his wife and child.
Date of birth: 11 November 1967 Occupation: Commercial lawyer (2002-2014), human rights lawyer (from 2014)
Date of detention: 19 January 2018 Location: A dozen of police officers took him away when he sent his son to school. Ground of detention: He was first criminally detained for the crime of “obstructing official duties" on 20 January 2018, and was charged with a more serious crime of “inciting subversion of state power" later. Date of formal arrest: On 20 January 2018, Yu’s wife Xu Yan received a formal notice that Yu Wensheng was criminally detained for “obstructing official duties" and was kept in Shijingshan Detention Centre in Beijing. On 19 April 2018, the authority formally arrested him for “obstructing official duties" and “inciting subversion of state power". On 16 April 2018, police showed Yu’s lawyers of statement signed by Yu, stating that he had decided to dismiss the lawyers. However, neither the family nor the lawyers could verify if it was Yu’s wish or if he was forced to do so. Date of Indictment: In early February 2019, the Procuratorate indicted Yu Wensheng on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power” and dropped the second charge of “obstructing official duties.”
Legal representation: His family hired Lu Siwei and Lin Qilei to be his lawyers. Date of trial: On 9 May 2019, Yu had been secretly tried at the Xuzhou Municipal Intermediate Court, and that the authorities informed neither his family nor the two lawyers the family had retained. The Court also failed to publish a notice about the trial on its website as required by regulations. Date of sentencing: 17 June 2020 Verdict: The Procuratorate called Mrs Yu on 17 June 2020, informing her that Yu was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power”. Sentence: Four years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ deprivation of political rights. Location of detention/imprisonment: Xuzhou Detention Centre, Jiangsu Province
Description: Yu Wensheng has started practicing as a commercial lawyer since 2002. He launched his first open protest in 2014, when the authority refused to let him meet his defendant, who was arrested for showing support to the Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement. As a result, he was detained in October 2014 for 99 days, held with death row inmates for 61 days and questioned approximately 200 times. He was denied access to his lawyer, verbally abused and physically tortured.
Since then, Yu became one of the outspoken Chinese human rights lawyers. With his legal knowledge, he represented fellow human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang and Falun Gong practitioners, among others. After the nationwide crackdown on Chinese lawyers and human rights activists during the summer of 2015 (known as “709 crackdown"), Yu Wensheng sued the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and its Minster for illegal detention of citizens. In the evening of 6 August 2015, the police refused to show a warrant and smashed through the front door of Yu’s home, bundled him away from his wife and child. He was handcuffed for 24 hours before the police released him.
On 15 January 2018, the authority revoked his lawyer’s license; on 17 January, he was told that he would not be allowed to leave the country as he might endanger state security when he applied for a passport. On 18 January 2018, he published an open letter recommending amendments to the Chinese constitution, calling for fair elections and an oversight system for the Chinese Communist Party, amongst other reforms. The next day, a dozen of police officers took him away when he sent his son to school, citing he was criminally detained for “obstructing official duties". His lawyers were not allowed to see him. The authority formally arrested him on 19 April 2018, for “obstructing official duties" and “inciting subversion of state power".
On 20 November 2018, authorities informed Yu’s wife Xu Yan that Yu Wensheng’s case had been returned to the Public Security Bureau for supplementary investigation, a dilatory tactic to prolong human rights activists’ detention period. In early February 2019, the Procuratorate indicted Yu Wensheng on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power” and dropped the charge of “obstructing official duties.” On 9 May 2019, Yu was secretly tried at the Xuzhou City Intermediate Court, and that the authorities informed neither his family nor the two lawyers the family had retained. The Court also failed to publish a notice about the trial on its website as required by regulations. The verdict came one year later. the Procuratorate called Mrs Yu on 17 June 2020, informing her that Yu was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power”, he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ deprivation of political rights. Reportedly, Yu appealed immediately. It was until 13 August 2020 (nearly 1,000 days of detention and after the sentencing), Yu’s lawyers were finally allowed to read the documents related to his case in the Higher People’s Court of Jiangsu Province. When the lawyer met with Yu the next day, he noticed that Yu’s right hand was trembling so much that he could no longer write with that hand, and had to learn to write using his left hand. He also has dental problem, making it difficult to consume food. Since his detention in early 2018, he has not been allowed to see his wife and child.
Activist #XieWenfei’s family has been under pressure to dismiss a third lawyer to represent him. According to Lawyer Ren Quanniu, Xie’s case has been recently transferred to to the court for indictment. The authorities refused to allow the lawyer to meet Xie. #XieWenfei’s mother dismissed lawyer Ren Quanniu’s legal representation for Xie due to pressure from the authorities who threatened that they would take away Xie’s father if she didn’t dismiss Ren as Xie’s lawyer.
Date of birth: 7 April 1977 Occupation: Worker, activist
Date of detention: 29 April 2020 Location: Forcibly detained by police of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province Ground of detention: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble Date of formal arrest: 30 April 2020 Date of Indictment: 7 August 2020
Legal representation: Xie could not meet the two lawyers hired by his older brother. Under pressure Xie’s brother has dismissed the two lawyers.
Date of trial: Verdict: Sentence: Location of detention/imprisonment: Zixing City Detention Centre, Chenzhou, Hunan Province
Description: Xie Wenfei has been active and known as one of the Southern Street Movement Activists and showed support to Hong Kong protestors during the Umbrella Movement in 2014. He was accused of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment in April 2016. His “crimes” included being involved in pro-democracy Internet campaigns beginning in 2012, and using different online personas to post information about freedoms, human rights, June Fourth, and detained human rights defenders. Xie Wenfei was beaten up and subjected to torture during his detention between 2014 and 2016. In recent months, he has been calling for transparency and release of whistleblowers under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
On 27 August 2020, Ren Quanniu, the third lawyer hired by his family, learned from the Suxian District Procuratorate, that Xie’s case has been transferred to the court for indictment. He also learned that Xie’s mother has dismissed his legal representation for Xie. The lawyer confirmed with Xie’s family that on the next day after the Zixing City Detention Centre rejected Ren Quanniu’s application to visit Xie, the authorities pressured Xie’s mother to dismiss the lawyer, otherwise they would take away Xie’s father. It is the third time Xie’s family has been pressured by the authorities to dismiss a lawyer to represent Xie.
Shortly before his detention in April 2020, he shared a video as his public pledge against committing suicide to prevent “forced” suicide.
藝術家 #劉進興（又名「追魂」）將於2020年8月13日於南京市宣武區法院開庭受審，被控以「尋釁滋事罪」。他於2019年5月28日被帶走，被拘禁近15個月才被安排庭審。他曾聲援2014年的「雨傘運動」被拘禁9個月。這次可能面對更長年期囚禁 。Artist #LiuJinxing (better known as #ZhuiHun) will be tried at Xuanwu District Court in Nanjing on 13 August 2020. Liu is accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. He was taken away on 28 May 2019 and has been detained for nearly 15 months before being taken before a judge. In 2014, he supported the “Umbrella Movement” and was detained for nine months. This time, he’s likely facing several years of imprisonment.
Date of detention: 29 May 2019 (criminal detention) Location: Police took him away with five other activists in Nanjing Ground of detention: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble Date of formal arrest: 5 July 2019 Date of Indictment: 14 January 2020
Date of trial: Verdict: Sentence: Location of detention/imprisonment: Nanjing No. 3 Detention Centre, Jiangsu Province
Description: Police took away Liu, a Hubei province born artist, on 28 May 2019, along with five other artists in Nanjing, Jiangsu, and criminally detained him the next day. Police officers searched Liu’s home in Beijing, confiscating his artworks and some printed materials. The other five artists were subsequently released on bail.
His friends believed that Liu Jinxing’s detention was related to the government’s crackdown on activists before the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. Among the activists and artists circle, he was famous for selling his artworks to help support other detained political activists.
Liu Jinxing was only allowed his first lawyer’s visit on 23 September 2019. His previous requests were denied as the police claimed that his case involved “endangering state security”. The lawyer learned during the visit that Liu had been formally arrested on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.
On 14 January 2020, Xuanwu District Procuratorate in Nanjing indicted Liu and listed his “crimes” as producing videos and artworks to support detained political prisoners. His trial is scheduled to take place at Xuanwu District Court on 13 August 2020.
Liu had been detained for several times for his art and activism, including being detained in October 2014 for his performance art to support the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. He was released in July 2015 after being clear of criminal charges. Liu has lived in the Songzhuang art colony in Songzhuang Town of Tongzhou District in Beijing, the most famous and largest artist community in the municipality.
