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Prominent Rights Advocate Is Indicted in China Rights Advocate Is Indicted in China Over Role in Campaign Against Corruption
(about 9 hours later)
BEIJING — Chinese prosecutors have formally indicted a prominent rights advocate for his role in a grass-roots anti-corruption campaign that prompted street rallies across the country and deeply alarmed Communist Party leaders, his lawyer said Friday. BEIJING — Chinese prosecutors have formally indicted a prominent rights advocate for his role in an anticorruption campaign that prompted street rallies across the country and deeply alarmed Communist Party leaders, his lawyer said Friday.
Prosecutors in Beijing did not publicly release their indictment against the activist, Xu Zhiyong, but his lawyer said officials notified him by phone Friday afternoon and told him to pick up a copy on Monday. Prosecutors in Beijing did not publicly release the charges against the activist, Xu Zhiyong, but his lawyer said officials notified him by telephone Friday afternoon and told him to pick up a copy on Monday.
The lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, said he expected the charges would be identical to those recommended last week by the police, primarily that Mr. Xu helped “assemble a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” The charges carry up to five years in prison. The lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, said he expected the charges to identical to those recommended last week by the police, primarily that Mr. Xu helped “assemble a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” If convicted, Mr. Xu faces up to five years in prison.
While not unexpected, the indictment of Mr. Xu underscores the perils faced by Chinese reform advocates who seek to turn their ideals into street activism. A dogged rights defender who once won a seat on a party-dominated local council, Mr. Xu, 40, made a name by using laws to address social injustice and by leveraging the domestic media and the Internet to win public sympathy to the cause of legal reform.While not unexpected, the indictment of Mr. Xu underscores the perils faced by Chinese reform advocates who seek to turn their ideals into street activism. A dogged rights defender who once won a seat on a party-dominated local council, Mr. Xu, 40, made a name by using laws to address social injustice and by leveraging the domestic media and the Internet to win public sympathy to the cause of legal reform.
The charges against Mr. Xu stem from his role organizing the New Citizens Movement, an ad hoc effort to promote the rule of law, education reform and greater financial transparency for government officials.The charges against Mr. Xu stem from his role organizing the New Citizens Movement, an ad hoc effort to promote the rule of law, education reform and greater financial transparency for government officials.
His arrest in August came amid a far-reaching crackdown on a movement that championed street rallies calling on Chinese leaders to publicly disclose their wealth. Most of the protests were short-lived and small, but the authorities were unnerved by the group’s ability to harness public disgust over corruption and growing social inequality. His arrest in August came amid a far-reaching crackdown on a movement that featured street rallies calling on Chinese leaders to publicly disclose their wealth. Most of the protests were short-lived and small, but the authorities were unnerved by the group’s ability to harness public disgust over corruption and growing social inequality.
In recent months, at least 18 people associated with the group have been detained; last week three of them stood trial in Jiangxi Province, in the southeast, in a proceeding their lawyers said was rife with irregularities, including allegations of torture. In recent months, at least 18 people associated with the group have been detained; last week three of them stood trial in Jiangxi Province, in the southeast, in a proceeding said that legal advocates say was rife with irregularities, including allegations of torture. On Friday night, lawyers for two other activists, Li Wei and Yuan Dong, said they, too, had been indicted on similar charges for gathering on a Beijing street with banners calling on government officials to reveal their hidden wealth. The lawyers said they had yet to receive the indictments.
Mr. Xu has maintained his defiance behind bars, and Mr. Zhang said his client welcomed the opportunity to stand trial, even if his chances for acquittal were almost nil. “Xu doesn’t think his behavior is a crime and believes it constitutes a citizen’s rational push for social improvement,” Mr. Zhang said in an interview. “He told me, ‘If you insist on bringing my trial to the nation’s consciousness, then I’ll calmly accept the honor.’ ” Mr. Xu has maintained his defiance behind bars, and Mr. Zhang said his client welcomed the opportunity to stand trial, even if his chances for acquittal were almost nil.
“Xu doesn’t think his behavior is a crime and believes it constitutes a citizen’s rational push for social improvement,” Mr. Zhang said in an interview. “He told me, ‘If you insist on bringing my trial to the nation’s consciousness, then I’ll calmly accept the honor.’ ”
Officials at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 People’s Procuratorate did not respond Friday to a faxed request for comment. It is the same office that successfully pursued the conviction of Liu Xiaobo, the political reformer and Nobel laureate who is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion.Officials at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 People’s Procuratorate did not respond Friday to a faxed request for comment. It is the same office that successfully pursued the conviction of Liu Xiaobo, the political reformer and Nobel laureate who is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion.
Human rights advocates have been dispirited by the ongoing crackdown, which has netted veteran activists but also mainstream pragmatists like Wang Gongquan, a liberal businessman who provided financial support to the New Citizens Movement and who was arrested in October. Human rights advocates have been dispirited by the continuing crackdown, which has netted veteran activists but also mainstream pragmatists like Wang Gongquan, a liberal businessman who provided financial support to the New Citizens Movement and who was arrested in October.
Maya Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong, said the prosecution of Mr. Xu and his associates was a telling barometer of just how far the new Chinese leadership under President Xi Jinping will go to quash dissent. Mr. Xu, she noted, did not explicitly call for the overthrow of the Communist Party, but instead focused on building broad support for political and legal reforms. Maya Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong, said the prosecution of Mr. Xu and his associates was a barometer of just how far the Chinese leadership under President Xi Jinping will go to quash dissent. Mr. Xu, she noted, did not explicitly call for the overthrow of the Communist Party, but focused on building broad support for political and legal reforms.
“What he was trying to do was both innovative and moderate,” she said. “He attracted the participation of a lot of middle-class people drawn to his vision and campaigns focusing on education and corruption.”“What he was trying to do was both innovative and moderate,” she said. “He attracted the participation of a lot of middle-class people drawn to his vision and campaigns focusing on education and corruption.”
In their report recommending Mr. Xu’s indictment, the police cited seven protests in Beijing during 2012 and 2013 that demanded officials disclose their assets and others that called on the government to rescind rules barring the children of rural migrants from urban public schools. The document noted how one rally in front of the Ministry of Education attracted more than 100 people who “insulted education officials.” In their report recommending Mr. Xu’s indictment, the police cited seven protests in Beijing last year and this year that demanded that officials disclose their assets and others that called on the government to rescind rules barring the children of rural migrants from urban public schools. The document said one rally in front of the Ministry of Education attracted more than 100 people who “insulted education officials.”
Mr. Zhang expressed frustration with the way the authorities have handled the case so far. In comments he posted online Friday evening, he noted the unusual speed with which prosecutors issued their indictment, which was based on 129 case files that they had received from the police a week earlier. In one barbed comment, he questioned how officials could have read all the documents given that his office was still in the process of having them photocopied. “Why don’t you at least have some decency?” he wrote. Mr. Zhang expressed frustration with the way the authorities have handled the case so far. In comments he posted online Friday evening, he noted the unusual speed with which prosecutors issued the indictment, which was based on 129 case files that they had received from the police a week earlier. He questioned how officials could have read all the documents given that his office was still having them photocopied. “Why don’t you at least have some decency?” he wrote.

Patrick Zuo contributed research.

Chris Buckley contributed reporting from Hong Kong. Patrick Zuo contributed research.