Chinese human rights lawyer Tan Yongpei, who previously reported the former Minister of Justice, Fu Zhenghua, was sentenced to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and was released from prison yesterday, October 31st.
According to Radio Free Asia, Tan Yongpei completed his sentence on October 31st, and his family received a notification from the prison the day before, stating that he would be sent back to Nanning in accordance with regulations upon his release, with a stop at the judicial bureau before returning home. Tan Yongpei’s wife confirmed that her husband was released on Thursday this week but did not disclose further details.
Sources revealed that Tan Yongpei returned to Nanning from the prison in the morning, accompanied by officials from the judicial department, and met with his family in the afternoon. Concerns about his high-profile release endangering him due to previous threats against his family for speaking out in his defense have kept them from elaborating further. It was also mentioned that Tan Yongpei’s mother passed away during his detention, and upon his release, he needs to handle her affairs and readjust to societal changes before planning his next steps. Tan Yongpei is in good physical health at the moment and believes, “a clear conscience fears no accusation,” indicating he is not afraid of limitations on his freedom and surveillance by authorities.
Tan Yongpei was the founder and director of the Guangxi Baijuming Law Firm. Public records show that Tan had been practicing law for over a decade, establishing a firm that welcomed many local human rights lawyers, providing legal defense for oppressed colleagues and offering legal aid to vulnerable groups.
During the “709 Crackdown” in 2015, Tan Yongpei was taken in for questioning by the authorities and subsequently had his license revoked along with several other human rights lawyers. In 2018, after reporting the abuse of power by the then Minister of Justice, Fu Zhenghua, Tan was taken into custody by the police in October 2019, and prior to his five-year sentence in 2023, he had been detained for over three years.
In May 2018, Tan Yongpei had his lawyer’s license revoked and in September officially founded the “Chinese Lawyer Club.” In November of that year, he sued the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Judicial Department to annul unlawful decisions and demanded compensation amounting to 8.9 billion RMB for economic and emotional damages. He also publicly accused Fu Zhenghua of abuse of power and suppression of lawyers, calling for the disclosure of his personal assets and reporting local officials for corruption and injustice, which made him a target of the authorities.
On October 31, 2019, Tan Yongpei was detained by a dozen police officers who raided his former law firm, Baijuming Law Firm, and sealed the office. He was only granted a meeting with his legal representatives nearly seven months into his detention. During this period, on July 11, 2021, Tan Yongpei’s mother passed away with her dying wish of having her only son home for the funeral denied by the authorities.
After being detained for over three years in March 2023, Tan Yongpei was sentenced to five years for “inciting subversion of state power.” The authorities’ key evidence against him was his posts on Weibo and Twitter, interviews with foreign media, and his assistance to another human rights lawyer, Chen Jiahong.
The human rights website reported that on August 14, 2023, Tan Yongpei was brought to a pre-trial hearing in ankle shackles, causing him great indignation and continuous trembling of his hands.
During his detention, on July 9, 2022, Tan Yongpei and fellow unlawfully detained lawyer Xie Yang were jointly awarded the 6th China Human Rights Lawyers Award in 2022.
The Chinese Communist Party’s oppression of human rights lawyers continues. On October 29, the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court sentenced prominent lawyer Yu Wensheng to three years in prison and his wife, Xu Yan, to one year and nine months.
Recently, human rights lawyers Wang Yu and Jiang Tianyong were detained by the Weixian County Public Security Bureau in Hebei Province while providing legal assistance for a case. Wang Yu went on a hunger strike to protest and accused police officer Cao Ran of mistreating her. Jiang Tianyong, released yesterday, was taken to a train station 50 kilometers away in Handan.
Lu Siwei, a human rights lawyer deported from Laos back to China in September last year, was forcibly detained by the Chengdu Public Security Bureau on October 10th. Reports have emerged that he faces poor living conditions in prison and forced labor, making his situation extremely challenging.