{"id":159313,"date":"2021-05-11T18:02:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T18:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=197380"},"modified":"2021-05-11T18:02:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T18:02:18","slug":"china-tries-online-activists-who-saved-censored-coronavirus-posts-on-github-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/05\/11\/china-tries-online-activists-who-saved-censored-coronavirus-posts-on-github-2\/","title":{"rendered":"China Tries Online Activists Who Saved Censored Coronavirus Posts on Github"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Two Chinese activists who kept an online repository of banned articles on the coronavirus pandemic stood trial in Beijing on Tuesday, while a journalist was attacked by unidentified thugs in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Chen Mei and Cai Wei stood trial at the Chaoyang District People’s Court in Beijing, on charges of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).<\/p>\n

According to Chen Mei’s brother, Chen Kun, their mother and Cai Wei’s father were allowed to attend the trial, which lasted around 100 minutes.<\/p>\n

The pair were accused in the indictment of posting around 600 articles to their Terminus2049 page on Github, creating a repository of censored and deleted articles about the early weeks of the pandemic in China, according to the indictment against them.<\/p>\n

The articles and social media posts included a eulogy for late whistleblowing Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang, and an interview with former Wuhan Central Hospital ER director Ai Fen.<\/p>\n

Both Chen and Cai pleaded guilty, and the trial ended, with sentencing to be announced at a later date.<\/p>\n

Both were held under “residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL),” despite the fact that neither was accused of a crime involving national security.<\/p>\n

They were allocated “defense” attorneys by the government, while a rights attorney hired by Chen’s family was prevented from acting for his client.<\/p>\n

Chen’s mother Wei Xiuwen said the insistence on official lawyers was illegal. “Basically the entire case was handled by the prosecution working with official lawyers,” she said.<\/p>\n

“They are persecuting Chen Mei and handling the case illegally,” Wei said, vowing to appeal. “Chen Mei is not guilty, and I will not accept any length of [prison] sentence, not even one day.”<\/p>\n

Forced confessions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chen’s brother Chen Kun told RFA after the trial that the pair had likely “confessed” under duress.<\/p>\n

“They forced them to plead guilty, they assigned [officially approved] lawyers to them, and they stopped the outside world from gaining access to the courtroom,” Chen Kun said.<\/p>\n

He said the pair were almost certain to be convicted, and that he was concerned about their sentence.<\/p>\n

“The maximum sentence for picking quarrels and stirring up trouble is five years,” Chen Kun said.<\/p>\n

Cai’s father Cai Jianli said he had written to the prosecutor to protest the handling of the case.<\/p>\n

“They just say you have committed a crime, and they give you no chance to defend yourself, or to fight it,” he said.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong barrister and rights activist Chow Hang-tung said the international community should pay attention to Cai and Chen’s case.<\/p>\n

“China has dealt with these enthusiastic young people with extreme harshness,” Chow told RFA. “Their idea of controlling the pandemic was to shut down any information about it.”<\/p>\n

Reporter attacked with bat<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, unidentified thugs in Hong Kong beat up a journalist for the Epoch Times<\/em> newspaper, which has close ties to the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.<\/p>\n

An unidentified man attacked reporter Sarah Liang with a softball bat outside her apartment building. Liang suffered bruises to both legs and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.<\/p>\n

Liang had earlier reported being followed by an unknown man on April 26, as well as a man harassing her at her home on April 24.<\/p>\n

She told RFA on Tuesday that a “thin, vicious-looking man with short hair” had set about her with the bat.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t know him,” she said. “He hit me with the bat, and didn’t say anything the whole time.”<\/p>\n

“I think it was meant to send a message to all Hong Kong media and frontline reporters,” Liang said. “They want to silence us.”<\/p>\n

“They are now openly beating people up in broad daylight, and I think it is a kind of war against the people of Hong Kong,” she said.<\/p>\n

The attack came after a printing press used by the paper was smashed up by people with sledgehammers on April 12.<\/p>\n

“The actions against the Epoch Times are part of a campaign of intimidation, violent attacks, illegal arrests, and stigmatization by CCP officials and in CCP-controlled media directed against the free press in Hong Kong,” the editorial said.<\/p>\n

“The CCP seeks to intimidate journalists and citizens, making honest reporting more difficult to do in Hong Kong, and to force the free press to abandon working there,” it said.
<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Reported by Lu Xi, Xue Xiaoshan and Gigi Lee for RFA’s Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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