Before the Chinese Communist Party’s Two Sessions, septuagenarian petitioner Wang Huifang from Shanghai was detained in Beijing and subsequently repatriated to Shanghai, where she has since gone missing. Aside from being detained for 30 days, authorities also attempted to subject Wang Huifang to a psychiatric evaluation in an effort to confine her to a psychiatric hospital.
On March 19, Wang Huifang and fellow Shanghai petitioner Gu Guoping were both detained while on bus route 14 in Beijing. After being repatriated to Shanghai on the 21st, Wang Huifang was criminally detained by the Shimending Police Station of the Jing’an District for the alleged crime of “provocation and troublemaking.” Currently, information from her family reveals that Wang Huifang’s period of detention is 50 days, which includes a judicial psychiatric evaluation, along with an additional 30 days of criminal detention.
The issue of Wang Huifang’s house demolition has remained unresolved for over a decade, leading her to petition for justice and rights, during which she encountered various forms of suppression and persecution.
At over 70 years old, Wang Huifang has been subjected to severe persecution by the authorities, prompting retired Shanghai University professor Gu Guoping, who is currently bedridden, to speak out and call for attention to her case.
“Wang Huifang is a courageous rights activist who dares to speak out for justice, unafraid of government and other forms of pressure. Not only does she advocate for her own rights, but she also upholds fairness and justice in our society as a wronged petitioner,” Gu Guoping expressed. “When we registered her case at the Ministry of Public Security, they issued a letter to address her concerns locally. However, upon her return to Shanghai, instead of resolving the old issues, she is facing new persecution again.”
Gu Guoping continued, “Normally, for a first offense, the detention period is seven days at most, not exceeding a month. However, the Jing’an District government has imposed a 50-day period for psychiatric evaluation (excluding the detention time), along with an additional 30 days of criminal detention, totaling 80 days. Employing such methods of persecution against an elderly woman, I believe, is extremely inhumane, contravening various legal provisions because she has not committed any wrongdoing; all the accusations and reasons are unfounded.”
“Why can the Jing’an District government arbitrarily detain her? This is not just persecution against her personally but also casts a significant negative impact on our society and the actions of the current Chinese government. Therefore, I hope that the international media can pay more attention and report on her case,” Gu Guoping emphasized.
Furthermore, known in the petitioner community as “Grandpa Furong,” Wang Ronghua, on March 7, had his ID checked at a security checkpoint in Beijing’s Daxing District. That night, he stayed at the Beijing Relief Station, and the next morning, he took the high-speed train back to Shanghai. Around 11 a.m. that day, he sent a message indicating he had arrived at Shanghai Station, yet his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
At 71 years old, Wang Ronghua suffers from diabetes, hypertension, has had multiple strokes, and is in poor health, causing great anxiety for his family.
Up to now, there is still no news about Wang Ronghua. His wife called the local police station to inquire about his whereabouts, suspecting that he might have been injured, and the authorities are hesitant to allow him to return home. However, the police claimed that they could not find him and have no information on his whereabouts, further distressing his family.