(Guangxi, China) Qin Yongpei, a Christian human rights lawyer from Guangxi, was detained by the Chinese authorities for more than three years beyond legal time limits. On March 31, Qin was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” by the Nanning City Intermediate People’s Court of Guangxi. The verdict of the first instance sentenced Qin Yongpei to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of deprived political rights. Dissatisfied with the verdict, he has appealed.
Qin’s hearing
On March 31, Qin Yongpei’s wife, Deng Xiaoyun, and his younger sister attended the court hearing. Two bailiffs brought him out, and he became slightly emotional. Qin Yongpei’s meeting with his wife and younger sister went on for about 10 minutes, in which he signed a power of attorney entrusting his wife and daughter to be the defenders of the second instance of his appeal.
The story behind the curtain
After Qin Yongpei was sentenced, Ms. Deng Xiaoyun posted Qin Yongpei’s verdict on her Twitter, expressing her strong grievance with the ruling. She said: “Since Qin Yongpei has been sentenced to the maximum sentence for the crime of inciting subversion of state power, let me tell you about the story behind the curtain!”
Conspiracy
She revealed that after the verdict was pronounced, during Qin Yongpei’s meeting with his wife Deng Xiaoyun, he told her:
“Huang Yu, Party secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Nanning City; Yang Weichao, former secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee; and Chen Yining, currently the deputy secretary of Nanning City and deputy chief of Nanning Public Security Bureau; and Tang Bin, former chief of the Nanning Public Security Bureau. They conspired to manipulate the public security bureau, procuratorate, and law and used public power to retaliate against Qin Yongpei. Although Tang Bin was investigated, his co-workers continued to work hard to avenge him!”
Appealing to Xi
He wrote to Xi Jinping, protesting that the Nanning City Public Security Bureau intentionally framed him. It is reported that Huang Yu, the current Party secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Nanning City, Yang Weichao, the former secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, and Chen Yining, chief of the Nanning Public Security Bureau are directly responsible for the persecution of Qin Yongpei.
His petition
Qin Yongpei asked his defense lawyer to mail the application to Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and to forward it to Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Background for Qin Yongpei’s case
Qin once reported Tang Bin, then deputy director of the Guangxi Public Security Bureau, and submitted leads about his corruption to the Nanning Intermediate People’s Court. On August 9, 2022, Tang Bin was subjected to an investigation by the Chinese Communist Party’s Provincial Commission of disciplinary review and supervisory investigation in suspicion of serious violations of party discipline and national law. On December 14, 2022, the party expelled Tang Bin from public office due to serious violations of law; he was suspected of accepting bribes and was transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.
Not illegal
According to the national law of China, Qin Yongpei’s act of reporting an official is a legitimate exercise of citizens’ right to supervision and freedom of speech and should not be subjected to retaliation or considered a crime.
Evidence for his “crimes”
Qin Yongpei’s written judgment did not include these elements. However, the local judiciary cited his comments on social media platforms, Weibo and Twitter, his interviews with foreign media, his assistance to another human rights lawyer, Chen Jiahong and others, and his establishment of the “Disbarred China Lawyers Club” as the primary evidence of “inciting subversion of state power.”
Deng Xiaoyun was forced to delete the posts on April 2 due to pressure from local authorities.
~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid
