China: #MeToo Journalist Jailed for Five Years

story

JUN 14 2024

Image copyright: Getty Images/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated JUN 20 2024

The Facts

Sophia Huang Xueqin, a prominent figure in China's #MeToo movement, Friday was handed a five-year jail sentence after being found guilty on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" by a court in southern China.
The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court also sentenced labor activist Wang Jianbin, who stood trial with Huang, to three years and six months in prison on the same charge.
Xueqin, 36, and Jianbin, 40, have already spent nearly 1K days behind bars after their September 2021 arrest. Huang is fined 100K RMB ($13.8K), while Wang is fined 50K RMB ($6.9K).

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

These convictions are arbitrary, malicious, and unjust. Beijing is trying to penalize and silence civil society activists for reporting ground-breaking stories about sexual abuse victims, misogyny, and sexism at Chinese universities and workplaces. The PRC is viewing activism as a national security crime and imposing criminal charges for deeds that challenge government authority in a vile attempt to decimate social activism.

Amnesty

Pro-China narrative

These activists published distorted and inflammatory articles on foreign social media platforms and organized gatherings to incite youth dissatisfaction toward the government, which could create challenges to political stability in China. Any attempt by the agents of hostile Western forces to challenge China's rule of law and smear its judicial sovereignty must not succeed.

Barrons