14-6-2024 (BEIJING) In a move that has sent shockwaves through China’s embattled human rights community, a court in Guangzhou has handed down severe sentences to prominent #MeToo journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin and labor activist Wang Jianbing. The draconian punishments, nearly 1,000 days after their initial detention, serve as a chilling reminder of the Chinese authorities’ unwavering determination to quell dissenting voices.
According to supporters, Huang received the maximum sentence of five years in prison, while Wang was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars. The verdicts, delivered on Friday, found the pair guilty of inciting state subversion, a charge frequently leveled against those perceived as threats to the ruling Communist Party’s grip on power.
In addition to the lengthy prison terms, which take into account the time already spent in detention, Huang was deprived of her political rights for four years and slapped with a staggering fine of 100,000 RMB. Wang, on the other hand, faced three years of deprivation of political rights and a fine of 50,000 RMB.
The severity of the sentences has left supporters reeling. “It was longer than we expected,” said a spokesperson for the campaign group Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. “I don’t think it should have been this severe, and it is completely unnecessary. So we support Huang Xueqin’s intention to appeal.”
The trial, which began in September last year, was shrouded in secrecy, with only a day’s notice given for Friday’s hearing. The public and media were barred from attending, as a heavy police presence, including both uniformed and plain-clothed officers, maintained a tight cordon around the courthouse, enforcing the authorities’ determination to keep the proceedings out of the public eye.
Huang, a renowned feminist activist and journalist who reported on China’s #MeToo movement and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and Wang were arrested in September 2021, just one day before Huang was due to fly to the UK to pursue her studies at the University of Sussex.
During their detention at the Guangzhou number one detention center, advocates claim the duo endured secret interrogations, torture, and ill-treatment. The US-based NGO, Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), reported that police interrogated as many as 70 of their friends, some of whom were forced to leave Guangzhou.
The charges against Huang and Wang stem from the regular gatherings they organized for like-minded progressives to discuss issues such as feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and labor issues. Authorities accused them of publishing inflammatory articles, smearing Chinese authorities at a foreign virtual media conference, and organizing online courses that incited dissatisfaction with the country, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Huang’s ordeal with the authorities dates back to 2019 when she was detained after reporting on the Hong Kong protests. While released in early 2020, she was prevented from taking up a place on a postgraduate program at the University of Hong Kong.
On Friday, Amnesty International condemned the convictions, stating that Huang and Wang were jailed “solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.” Sarah Brooks, the NGO’s China director, called for their immediate release, saying, “In reality, they have committed no actual crime. Instead, the Chinese government has fabricated excuses to deem their work a threat, and to target them for educating themselves and others about social justice issues such as women’s dignity and workers’ rights.”
