On the morning of August 6th, at 9:00 am, the case of independent media practitioner Yin Jian Gen in Hunan was sentenced in the Hu County Court in Anhui. Yin Jian Gen was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison and he immediately protested and requested to appeal. According to sources, the Chinese authorities were on high alert, deploying a large number of police forces inside and outside the courthouse to prevent supporters from attending the trial. Some members of the public were also controlled by community stability measures in various regions and were unable to go to the court to show their support.
Knowledgeable source Gao Jie told Epoch Times that on the 6th, the court did not hold a trial but proceeded with the sentencing. In the morning, he and over a dozen supporters arrived at the courthouse, where they were met with a heavy police presence that prevented them from entering the courthouse for the trial. “Some people were directly warned by the local public security bureau not to come.” “There were many police officers blocking the courthouse gate, not allowing the public to enter, which was not only despicable but also arrogant, with a large number of police officers dispatched from Ma’anshan.”
Gao Jie said that ultimately, the police only allowed 3 of them to enter the courtroom to observe, while the rest of the seats were occupied by individuals arranged by the authorities. The court session lasted for about half an hour, with the presiding judge reading out the verdict without giving Yin Jian Gen a chance to speak before being taken away. “They didn’t let him speak, and there were many law enforcement officers inside, surrounding him in rows.”
“After court, Yin Jian Gen expressed his intention to appeal.” Gao Jie said that after the court adjourned, the defense lawyer rushed to the detention center to have Yin Jian Gen sign the appeal documents, which were then submitted to the court.
Yin Jian Gen was a journalist for “Rule of Law Online” who had long been advocating for marginalized groups and eventually fell victim to the authorities for his outspokenness. He was accused of using the pseudonyms “Sunshine from the Pen” and “Ray of Spring” to publish over 450 articles on a WeChat public account, criticizing various levels of government institutions and the judiciary.
On August 11, 2025, Yin Jian Gen wrote an article criticizing Liu Ying, the party secretary of Liyang Town, Hu County, Anhui. Subsequently, he was arrested by the Ma’anshan City police in Anhui and transferred to the custody of Hu County, Anhui in Hunan on suspicion of “provocation and trouble-making”.
Yin Jian Gen also wrote under the pseudonym “Sunshine from the Pen” multiple times, advocating for Chen Dezhen, a petitioner in Anhui Province and County.
The Chen Dezhen case dates back to 1995 when she got involved in a debt dispute with the government of Liyang Town, Hu County. She persisted in her rights defense for 21 years. During this period, she was framed by the party secretary, Liu Ying, and sentenced to 1 year in prison. After her release, she was administratively detained for 18 days by the local police for pleading her case on Weibo.
*(Interviewee’s name has been changed)*