December 27, 2017


The trial of Chinese human rights activist Wu Gan, who was sentenced to eight years in prison on Christmas Day, has again shed light on China's practice of sentencing high-profile activists during the holiday period in order to avoid international scrutiny.
The week between Christmas and New Year is a dead zone for many international companies, including the media and diplomatic services, most of which are sparsely staffed during the holiday period. That can make it the ideal time to bury bad news, experts say.
This was on show Tuesday, when a court in the north eastern city of Tianjin declared Wu guilty of subversion after almost over two years in detention.
Why China jails activists at Christmas
Wu Gan, also known as the Super Vulgar Butcher, seen behind bars at a police station in Nanchang city in eastern China's Jiangxi province in 2015.
Known by his online moniker "Super Vulgar Butcher," Wu was known for his brash, outspoken style, including protests and performances outside court houses. He often seemed oblivious, even scornful of state power, responding to criticism with profanities and defiance.
In 2008, he advocated for Deng Yujiao, a woman arrested for killing a local official who attempted to rape her. A court found her guilty but did not sentence her to prison amid a massive swell of public support for her, in part organized by Wu. Her case was later fictionalized in the Jia Zhangke movie "A Touch of Sin."
He was one of hundreds of lawyers and activists swept up in the so-called 709 crackdown in July 2015. During a period of less than a week, at least 146 lawyers and their families were detained in a nationwide swoop according to the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG), a Hong Kong-based monitoring organization.
Most were released after questioning, but several have been handed lengthy prison terms, including Jiang Tianyong, who was sentenced to two years in prison after a televised confession his supporters have said was forced.
Wu refused to cooperate with the authorities, which may be why his prison sentence was so severe, said Kit Chan, executive director of CHRLCG.
She said his sentencing appeared to have been timed so as to avoid "public attention especially from the diplomatic circle."
"This is quite a usual practice or tactic for the Chinese authorities, especially around important and long holidays for the international community," Chan added.
His may not be the last case before 2018 either. Qin Yongmin, a former member of the China Democracy Party swept up in the 709 arrests, is due to be sentenced on December 29, while many people are still on holiday, according to lawyer Xie Yanyi, who was himself detained in the crackdown.
Why China jails activists at Christmas
Christmas trials
While the Chinese authorities deny timing cases in this fashion, Patrick Poon, a China researcher at Amnesty International, pointed to multiple historical examples which suggest otherwise.
In Wu's case, Poon said, there had been little movement for months, making it "simply incomprehensible why (it needed) to be announced this week unless there are political calculations to avoid attention."
"By trying to avoid scrutiny from the press and the international community, the Chinese government betrays the fact it knows well these sham trials cannot withstand scrutiny," he said.
One of the most well-known examples is that of Liu Xiaobo, a pro-democracy activist later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Christmas Day, 2009, over six months after he was first charged with "inciting subversion of state power."
Liu died this year, shortly after being released on heavily-guarded medical parole, eight years into his sentence. Requests from his family and supporters that he be allowed to seek treatment overseas were denied.
He was the first Nobel Peace laureate to die in state custody since Carl von Ossietzky in Nazi Germany in 1938, and his case brought considerable international criticism of Beijing, which has seen less scrutiny of its human rights records in recent years.
Two years before, on December 25, 2007, well-known AIDS and environmental activist Hu Jia was arrested at his home in Beijing. He was later sentenced to three and a half years in jail.
In 2015, Pu Zhiqiang, a lawyer who represented dissident artist Ai Weiwei among others, was handed a suspended three year-prison sentence just before Christmas. During the same period in 2011, writers Chen Xi and Chen Wei were handed 10 and nine year prison sentences respectively, according to free speech group PEN International.

Chan said timing trials for Christmas may be starting to backfire, with much coverage of Wu's trial highlighting the fact it was scheduled for the holidays, though the trial itself was very sparsely attended according to reporters on the scene.
"It might be (becoming) less effective because the tactic is well known," she said.
Nor did the trial's timing prevent diplomatic condemnation, the embassies of Germany and the United States issued a joint statement Wednesday calling on the Chinese authorities "to release Wu immediately" and "view lawyers and rights defenders as partners in strengthening Chinese society through development of the rule of law."
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Politic
Mary Trump 'energized' as uncle 'Donald's campaign spirals into chaos'
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
READ MORE
Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.