Chinese MeToo activists Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing have been secretly sentenced in the second trial of the “inciting subversion” case. The lawyer in this case, Xu Kai, issued a public letter on September 13, criticizing the court’s illegal procedures and urging legal professionals and individuals interested in public issues to pay attention to this case.
Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing were previously sentenced to 5 years and 3.5 years in prison, respectively, on June 14 for “inciting subversion of state power.” The two appealed on July 3.
According to the reposted public letter by Xu Kai on a rights protection website, on the 13th, when he met with Huang Xueqin, he was shocked to learn that her second trial had been secretly sentenced, with the appeal rejected and the original verdict upheld. The judgment document of the second trial was delivered to the parties on the 12th. Prior to the sentencing, Xu Kai and Wang Jianbing’s defense lawyers had not received any court notification documents.
Xu Kai pointed out that on the afternoon of the 12th, he even called the presiding judge, Wu Jun, to request a court hearing for the second trial. He had supplemented the court with three witness testimonies earlier this week as new evidence to be submitted, and applied for these three witnesses to testify in court. He also saw that the Guangdong High Court had acknowledged the submission of these documents. He explained to Wu Jun that this new evidence was highly relevant to the conviction and sentencing of the case, and under legal provisions, a court hearing should be held.
Wu Jun indicated that the witness testimonies and the application for appearance had been received, and the collegial panel would consider them but did not mention at any point that the second trial had already been sentenced.
Xu Kai criticized this as a serious procedural violation. According to the CCP’s “Criminal Procedure Law,” “Judgments shall be pronounced publicly.” He said, “In this situation, the court’s secret sentencing seriously deprived and harmed our right to a defense,” and “we will resolutely accuse such procedural violations.”
In response to the verdict, Huang Xueqin expressed her disappointment, stating that the judgment not only disregarded the facts but also maliciously speculated, deliberately misunderstood, distorted the truth, and even contradicted itself. She declared it as an unjust and unfair judgment that goes against objective facts, saying, “I do not accept it!”
She added, “I understand that this may just be going through the motions, but my defense lawyers and I have done our utmost to promote fairness and justice in the legal system. Our strength may be small, but the very act of persistence carries great significance. I believe that one day, the truth and justice will prevail. Even if I personally have to bear such a heavy price, I have no regrets.”
Huang Xueqin, 35 years old, has long been dedicated to advocating for women’s rights and wrote articles about the Hong Kong protests during a visit to Hong Kong a few years ago. Wang Jianbing, now 40, has been actively involved in advocating for labor rights, providing legal support to workers suffering from occupational diseases.