(Shanghai – April 3, 2024) Shanghai activist Ji Xiaolong was arrested for speaking out against the humanitarian disaster caused by the lockdown in Shanghai. He wrote a letter to then Shanghai Party Secretary, now Premier Li Qiang, calling for accountability from senior officials. Ji Xiaolong was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” he disagreed with the verdict of the first instance and appealed. The second trial was held on March 21 at the Shanghai Pudong People’s Court. Ji Xiaolong protested in court, claiming he had been abused during his detention.
Ji Xiaolong stated in his appeal that the Shanghai People’s Court accused him of posting or reposting false information that seriously damaged the image of the country on Twitter (X). However, the verdict did not specify the content which “damaged the image of the country.” He pointed out that the court did not find any trace of logins into Twitter (X) on his phone or computer, yet it concluded that the X account registered under his name belonged to him or was operated by him.
“The alarming nature of modern-day literal inquisition in the era of self-media is shocking.” The Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of publication for citizens. Ji Xiaolong stated, “The verdict of the first-instance is an illegal judgment against the tide of the times,” and he hopes that the court of second-instance will “correct the verdict from the first-instance and declare me innocent,” he continued.
It was revealed that during the trial of the second-instance, Ji Xiaolong wore a white sweater and jeans, with long hair down to his shoulders, and he sat up very straight. He loudly protested to the court, saying that he had not been provided with water from 9 a.m. until “now.” During the trial, he requested that the prosecutor and judge recuse themselves, but his request was denied. The presiding judge still did not notify him in advance according to the law.
Ji’s two defense lawyers pleaded him not guilty. In his closing statement, he pointed out that the persecution against him has not stopped since the investigation began. In the detention center, he was not given glasses, not allowed to read, and not given dental treatment. His basic rights were not guaranteed; his arrest was entirely due to his plea for the people during the pandemic and his open letter to Li Qiang. However, Ji Xiaolong’s final statement was rudely interrupted by the judge.
Ji Xiaolong shouted as he was led out of the courtroom, “You are all sinners!”
The court arranged for many people pretending to be jurors to be present in the gallery.
People familiar with the rule of law in China all know that “the verdict has long been predetermined, and the trial is just a formality.” This trial did not announce the verdict in court. The result is likely to be the same as the verdict of first-instance as predicted by the outside world.
Mr. Ji Xinghua, the father of Ji Xiaolong, attended the second trial at the Shanghai Intermediate People’s Court and sat in on the whole trial. Ji Xinghua condemned the court for continuing to use false testimony to frame his son. He revealed that Ji Xiaolong was closely monitored during his imprisonment, and he was not allowed to talk to anyone. His family sent him a fixed monthly living allowance, but friends and relatives were not allowed to visit him. Ji Xiaolong’s family in China is restricted from leaving the country.
This is the second time Ji Xiaolong has been arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles.” In July 2018, he initiated the “Toilet Revolution” rights movement, writing slogans such as “Down with the Communist Party” on public toilet doors to express the anger of the people aroused by the vaccine scandal in China. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison the following year. He was released in February 2022 but was imprisoned again shortly thereafter, where he remains to this day.
