Three rights activists, Lu Zuoyu, Zhang Xianlan, and Ye Guoqin from Fuqing, Fujian Province, were restricted in their personal freedom by the Public Security Bureau when they went to the court on April 12, 2024 to attend the trial of He Zongwang’s assault on the police case.
The three then sued the Fuqing City Public Security Bureau for their unlawful restriction, and the case went to trial on March 13, 2025. On the day of the trial, the court was heavily guarded, with a tense atmosphere that prevented other visitors from entering. The verdict of the case was scheduled for a later date.
He Zongwang, a dissident from Fuqing, had been sentenced to one year and three months in prison for allegedly assaulting a police officer during his imprisonment related to the sudden death case of Fang Ye, a visitor he was supporting. He was released on March 23, 2025, after serving his sentence.
During the court hearing on April 12 last year, the Fujian police conducted a massive arrest operation on individuals who were present to listen to the trial, going as far as using special police forces to intercept and send them to detention.
In light of these events, Lu Zuoyu, Zhang Xianlan, and Ye Guoqin filed a lawsuit against the Fuqing City Public Security Bureau. However, on the day of the trial on March 13, 2025, the court only allowed three people to be present as observers, while the seats were filled with irrelevant personnel.
According to an unnamed visitor, “On the day of the trial, there was a heavy security presence from the court entrance to the courtroom inside. A large group of people surrounded us, taking pictures. The director of the Gu Lou Police Station even came, and the police asked me how I knew about the trial, who told me, and why I had come. It’s clear that they are still worried about the situation being exposed.”
After the trial, Lu Zuoyu made a video entitled “Where is the boundary between law and lawlessness?” which was subsequently sealed. Netizen Da Long commented, “The boundary between law and lawlessness lies in not following the law, overriding the law, and doing as one pleases.”
Fang Ye was taken away by the police shortly after participating in the fifth-anniversary dinner of the Fuzhou firecracker case and subsequently died unexpectedly at the Public Security Bureau. Initially, many believed that Fang Ye had been beaten to death by the police. However, an informant revealed, “Fang Ye was severely injured by the Guoshan Police Station in Jin’an District and had his organs stolen. They are callously taking lives and acting above the constitution. We are all very afraid, not knowing who will be next!”
The informant further disclosed, “Fang Ye usually used Facebook to report on the rights events of Fujian visitors and even took them to Beijing to petition. The authorities held a grudge against him. He Zongwang’s one year and three months sentence is also related to Fang Ye, as the authorities falsely accused him of assaulting the police. The Fuqing authorities act recklessly, without regard for the law, and abuse their power.”
He Zongwang, a native of Fuqing, Fujian, was detained by the police on September 12, 2023, after meeting with rights activists in Fuzhou for dinner. Fang Ye, who was also present at the dinner, was arrested on the same day and died under suspicious circumstances a week later. Fang Ye’s wife, Li Meiying, conveyed a message to visitors in Fuzhou in October 2023, stating that her husband had been beaten to death while in custody, and He Zongwang was one of those who received the message.
He Zongwang was taken away by the police for receiving Li Meiying’s call and was subsequently charged with assaulting the police during his detention. The case went to trial at the Fuqing City Court on April 12, 2024, where the day before the trial, the Fuqing police began a massive crackdown on other visitors, preventing them from attending. He Zongwang was sentenced to one year and three months in prison and was released on March 23, 2025. In the days leading up to He Zongwang’s release, the Fuqing authorities engaged in stability maintenance processes, preventing others from welcoming He Zongwang upon his release.