A prominent figure in China’s #MeToo movement, Huang Xueqin, stood trial for alleged subversion on Friday, as reported by diplomats and representatives from a campaign group advocating for her release.
Huang Xueqin, a journalist and feminist activist, faced trial at the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court alongside labor activist Wang Jianbing. This information was disclosed by the campaign group “Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing,” citing sources familiar with the case.
Despite efforts by diplomats from seven Western nations, including the United States, Britain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, they were denied entry to observe the trial, according to diplomats based in Beijing.
Both individuals had been apprehended on September 19, 2021, in Guangzhou and subsequently charged.
The charge of “inciting subversion of state power” is commonly used by the Chinese government against dissidents and carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, unless the accused is considered a “ringleader” or involved in “serious crimes.”
Just before her arrest, Huang had been scheduled to depart for the United Kingdom to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Sussex on a British government-funded scholarship, as disclosed by the campaign group’s spokesperson, who requested anonymity due to security concerns.
Efforts to contact Huang’s lawyer and the Guangzhou court went unanswered. Police in Guangzhou did not respond to a faxed request for comment, and the British Foreign Office did not immediately provide a response.
Huang, an independent journalist who covered Chinese #MeToo allegations and the 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests, had previously been detained by Chinese authorities for three months in late 2019.
According to the campaign group’s spokesperson, the sedition charges against Huang and Wang were rooted in the gatherings they often organized for Chinese youth, during which they discussed social issues.
The spokesperson further claimed that the activists had been subjected to several months of solitary confinement and torture, allegations to which the police did not respond to a request for comment.
“Their families are extremely concerned about them. They face constant visits and threats from the police, which has left them fearful of speaking out or making contact with individuals overseas,” added the spokesperson.
