Chinese #MeToo activist sentenced to 5 years in prison: supporters group

Sophia Huang Xueqin was sentenced by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court alongside labor activist Wang Jianbing, who was sentenced to three years and six months, the group called Free Xuebing – an amalgamation of their names – said on the platform social media

Huang, who will appeal his conviction, wrote on social media about his experience of sexual harassment at work as a young journalist at a Chinese news agency, following the global #MeToo movement.

With Wang, she helped organize a regular rally in the southern city of Guangzhou, a member of the supporter group told AFP last year, before they were both arrested in 2021 .

Their trial took place in 2023, as international rights groups raised concerns about the health of the two men while in detention.

On Friday, Huang was accused of “posting distorted and provocative articles and speeches attacking the national government on social media” and “gathering foreign organizers to participate in online training on 'nonviolent actions'.” according to his supporters.

Wang was accused of publishing “false articles and speeches attacking the Chinese political system and government” and joining “online (subversive) groups overseas”, including one commemorating the deadly crackdown on the Tiananmen Square in 1989.

The meetings in Guangzhou, which took place starting in November 2020, “prompted participants to express their dissatisfaction with Chinese state power under the guise of discussing social issues.”

Amnesty International's China director, Sarah Brooks, called the convictions “malicious and completely unfounded.”

“Sophia Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing were imprisoned solely for exercising their right to free speech, and they must be released immediately and unconditionally,” Brooks said.

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