Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Yu Wensheng and Wife Xu Yan Sentenced
In Beijing, Chinese authorities have sentenced human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng to three years in prison, while his wife, Xu Yan, received a one-year and nine-month sentence. The couple was detained in April 2023 while attempting to meet with European Union officials. They were charged with “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” a common charge against critics of the Communist Party. The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court later convicted them of “incitement to subvert state power.”
Arrest of Other Rights Lawyers
In Hebei province, prominent rights lawyers Wang Yu and Jiang Tianyong were arrested at the Wei County People’s Court. They were there to represent a client, Liu Meixiang, against corruption charges. A scuffle ensued when police confiscated a camera from a family member, leading to Jiang’s detention for allegedly assaulting someone. Jiang is under an eight-day administrative detention and fined 300 yuan.
Denied Access and Hunger Strike
Lawyers Peng Peng, Duan Hanjie, and Shi Yu were denied access to meet the detained lawyers. Wang Yu’s husband, Bao Longjun, reported that Wang was on a hunger strike and faced difficulties accessing drinking water. She was accused of disrupting police work, but Bao claims she was assaulted and humiliated by police officers.
Doubts Revealed
Yu Wensheng -: Yu Wensheng is a lawyer from China who works to protect people’s rights. He often speaks out against unfair treatment by the government.
Xu Yan -: Xu Yan is the wife of Yu Wensheng. She also supports human rights and was sentenced along with her husband.
Beijing -: Beijing is the capital city of China. It is a very big city where many important government decisions are made.
Incitement to subvert state power -: This is a serious charge in China. It means that someone is accused of trying to change or challenge the government in a way that is not allowed.
EU officials -: EU officials are people who work for the European Union, a group of countries in Europe that work together on many issues.
Hebei -: Hebei is a province in China, which is like a state in India. It is located near Beijing.
Wang Yu -: Wang Yu is another lawyer in China who defends people’s rights. She was arrested while doing her job in court.
Jiang Tianyong -: Jiang Tianyong is a lawyer known for defending human rights in China. He was arrested and faces a short detention.
Hunger strike -: A hunger strike is when someone refuses to eat to protest against something they think is wrong. Wang Yu is on a hunger strike to show her disagreement with her treatment.