Supporters say a Chinese journalist who championed women’s rights amid the country’s nascent #MeToo movement has been sentenced to five years in prison for inciting the overthrow of state authority, almost three years later his arrest and that of an activist.
The verdict released to The Associated Press said Huang Xueqin would also face a fine of 100,000 yuan (nearly $19,000), underscoring the ruling Communist Party’s intolerance of any activism beyond its control. control in a system whose upper echelons are dominated by men.
China’s #MeToo movement flourished briefly before being stifled by the government. China often silences activists by keeping them incommunicado for long periods and then sentencing them to prison.
The release date of Mme Huang was set for September 18, 2026, which explains his earlier detention. Co-defendant Wang Jianbing was sentenced to three years and six months on the same charge. Mr. Wang is best known for his labor rights work, but he has also helped women report sexual harassment.
The cases of Ms. Huang and Mr. Wang appear to have become closely linked as part of the latest sweeping crackdown on rights defenders, a trend that predates the #MeToo movement and includes earlier incidents, such as the 2015 detentions. of women distributing brochures against sexual harassment on public transport.
Working as an independent journalist, Mme Huang helped spark China’s first #MeToo case in 2018 when she went public with a student’s allegations of sexual harassment against her doctoral supervisor at one of China’s most prestigious universities.
Friends say Mme Huang and Mr. Wang disappeared on September 19, 2021, one day before Mr.me Huang is flying to the UK to begin a master’s program in gender-based violence and conflict at the University of Sussex. They were tried in September 2023.
The International Foundation for Women in Media had earlier awarded Ms.me Huang won the Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award.
Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China director, issued a statement criticizing Mr.me Huang, calling it an attack on women’s rights in the People’s Republic of China, which has long championed the concept that “women hold up half the sky” but whose institutions remain dominated by men.
“These convictions will prolong their deeply unjust detention and will have a further chilling effect on human rights and social defense in a country where activists face increasing state repression,” Brooks said in a sent statement. by email.
“In reality, they didn’t commit any real crime. Instead, the Chinese government has made up excuses to view their work as a threat and to target them for educating themselves and others on social justice issues such as women’s dignity and human rights. workers. »