China court jails ‘tortured’ rights activist Xu Qin for four years — Radio Free Asia

A veteran rights activist, Xu Qin, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, has been sentenced to four years in jail. Her trial and sentencing were repeatedly delayed despite concerns over her declining health and reports of torture from a prominent rights group.

Xu, a key figure in the Wuhan-based China Rights Observer group founded by jailed veteran dissident Qin Yongmin, was convicted of “incitement to subvert state power” on March 29 by the Yangzhou Intermediate People’s Court. This charge is often used to target peaceful critics of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch rights website.

During the sentencing hearing, Xu expressed gratitude for the support she received and stated her intention to appeal, emphasizing her right to do so.

Xu, an award-winning activist, was detained under “residential surveillance at a designated location” in 2021. Rights groups argue that this form of detention increases the risk of torture and mistreatment. Her family disclosed that Xu, a survivor of stroke and heart attack, suffers from high blood pressure and other health issues.

The Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch rights website revealed that Xu’s health deteriorated due to torture and mistreatment while in detention. She was left paralyzed and unable to stand as a result of the abuse she endured.

Xu, who now uses a wheelchair, informed the court of her intention to appeal the sentence. She had spent over two years in pretrial detention, during which she held hunger strikes to protest against communication restrictions and limited access to her lawyer.

The trial of Xu was postponed multiple times, with the authorities citing “unavoidable circumstances.” Her family claimed that the delays were due to her refusal to provide a confession to the state security police.

New York-based rights lawyer Chen Chuangchuang criticized the deliberate delays in pronouncing the verdict and sentencing as a form of torture employed by the Chinese Communist Party. Xu was specifically targeted due to her association with Qin Yongmin, who himself has faced severe imprisonment for his activism.

Xu had been recognized with prestigious human rights awards for her advocacy work, but now finds herself behind bars for her activism.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.