A prominent Chinese legal activist has been jailed for fraud and ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’, the Post has learned.
Hao Jinsong, a public interest litigator, was given a nine-year sentence by a court in Dingxiang county in Shanxi province on Thursday, according to people familiar with the case.
The verdict and details of the accusations have not been made public.
He is guilty
Following over 1200 days of detention, Hao Jinsong was found guilty of fraud and ‘inciting quarrels and provoking trouble’ on 20 July 2023, receiving a cumulative prison sentence of nine years.
A distressing complaint report submitted by Hao’s defence lawyers in August 2023 detailed physical abuse and torture inflicted upon him while in detention.
According to the complaint, Hao suffered degrading treatment, including forced hair shaving and physical assaults that resulted in severe injuries and clothing stained with blood.
Open letter
On 14 October, 2023, Hao Jinsong’s wife, Xu Jie, wrote an open letter to Zhang Jun and Ying Yong, the presidents of the Supreme Court and Supreme Procuratorate respectively.
She highlighted potential police misconduct and physical injuries suffered by Hao Jinsong during his detention in 2021 and 2022, including brutal beatings and abuse.
The letter also emphasises that his representation of ordinary citizens in legal cases is a legitimate legal right and not an act of fraud, which was the main charge against him.
More complaints from his lawyer
A distressing complaint report submitted by Hao’s defence lawyers in August 2023 detailed physical abuse and torture inflicted upon him while in detention.
The complaint detailed the following alleged incidents: On June 4, 2021, at approximately 10 a.m., at the Wutai County Detention Center (五台縣看守所), police officers Bai Huanzhu (白還柱) and Zhang Yazhang (張亞彰) took Hao Jinsong to a dining room devoid of any surveillance.
Bai Huanzhu took it upon himself to forcefully restrain Hao Jinsong on the bed, using his knee to press against the back of his neck for nearly a minute.
The attack stemmed from an accusation alleging Hao Jinsong’s mismanagement of Cell No. 9, where a fight had occurred on June 3.On March 25, 2022, around 9 a.m., Hao Jinsong endured a brutal incident at the Xinzhou City Detention Center (忻州市看守所).
Cause of altercation
The altercation started because Hao Jinsong refused to shave his head.
Gao Yuhong (高玉红), Qu Biao (曲彪), and Li Ruiyuan (李瑞元) were all named in relation to the incident.
Qu Biao forcefully threw Hao Jinsong headfirst, before Gao Yuhong stepped on his head. In a degrading act, Li Ruiyuan removed Hao Jinsong’s pants and further humiliated him.
