On April 14th, democratic activist Shao Mingliang from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, stood trial at the Pukou District Court in Nanjing on charges of “provoking trouble” and “assaulting police”. Shao Mingliang was found guilty of both charges and sentenced to a total of 5 years and 6 months in prison.
According to reports from human rights websites and civil society observers, when the court session began at 9 a.m. on April 14th, the spectator seats were already filled with observers who had come to “reserve seats”.
Shao Mingliang stated that the court proceedings were illegal and that he was not informed of the hearing date three days in advance as required by law. His defense team requested clarification, but the presiding judge insisted that no laws were violated. The defense team then requested the judge to recuse himself, but the request was rejected after a five-minute recess, and the trial continued.
During the court session at the Pukou District Court, the reported accusations were found to be unfounded after investigation, and Shao Mingliang’s defense argued for his innocence. The panel of judges ruled that Shao Mingliang was guilty of provoking trouble and assaulting police, sentencing him to 5 years and 6 months in prison, to which Shao Mingliang immediately expressed his intention to appeal.
After the defense team left the courthouse, it was reported that the spectators also left in the same vehicle.
Shao Mingliang, a resident of Xiangtang Village in Pukou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, is the founder of the “Chinese Democratic Restoration Party”. He gained attention in 2013 for advocating for democratic constitutional principles in front of the Pukou District government, leading to physical assault by the police. He was subsequently detained in psychiatric hospitals multiple times. In January 2014, he was run over by a vehicle in front of the Pukou District government, resulting in lifelong disabilities. In 2016, he was twice detained for “anti-party speech” and has since been under house arrest for over two years, not allowed to leave the village or seek medical treatment.
In March 2019, he was arrested again on charges of “provoking trouble” and detained at the Pukou District Detention Center in Nanjing. He was later sentenced to 4 years in prison and was subjected to illegal abuse during his term, resulting in a disabled hand.
Upon his release in March 2023, Shao Mingliang continued to be illegally confined at home by the authorities. In the early hours of June 17, 2023, he was unlawfully arrested and tortured by the Pearl River Branch of the Pukou Sub-bureau before being returned home with no visitation allowed.
On September 22, 2023, Shao Mingliang was arrested by the Nanjing police on charges of provoking trouble and assaulting police and has been detained at the Nanjing Second Detention Center for 1 year and 10 months.
His family claims that they have not received any written notifications and even had their attempts to deliver clothes to the detention center rejected.
According to Radio Free Asia, the “Democratic Restoration Party” founded by Shao Mingliang actually consists of only himself. In November 2018, Shao Mingliang introduced on social media platform Twitter (now renamed X) that the party’s aim is to eliminate the legacy of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao, overthrow the “Yellow Russian brutal communists”, rebuild constitutional democracy, and establish a new republic of freedom.