On February 5, the Linyi Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Li Qiaochu for “inciting subversion of state power”, sentencing her to 3 years and 8 months in prison (including the time she was detained), and depriving her of political rights for 2 years. According to this judgment, she is expected to be released on August 3, 2024. On February 6, the official Weibo account of the EU Delegation to China @欧盟在中国 published a statement. As of the early morning of February 7 (Beijing time), this statement had not been deleted.
@欧盟在中国
The EU Delegation condemns the sentence of 3 years and 8 months for human rights activist Li Qiaochu. Ms. Li Qiaochu has been committed to protecting the rights of migrant workers and women. In 2020, she was detained by the police after recounting her testimony of torture during residential surveillance at a designated location. In February 2022, she was prosecuted by the Linyi Municipal Procuratorate on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”.
Ms. Li suffers from physical and mental problems and is in urgent need of long-term treatment. Her family has repeatedly applied for bail for medical treatment, but has been rejected.
Ms. Li’s first trial was held on June 20, 2023, but a lawyer was not allowed to enter the court due to additional security checks. The judge rejected all the basic requests of the lawyer, such as summoning witnesses. The trial was then cancelled and the lawyer was dismissed. Li Qiaochu’s second trial was held on December 9, 2023, at the People’s Court of Linyi Economic and Technological Development Zone, on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power”, but the sentence was only announced now.
In December 2022, the Dutch Embassy in China awarded the “Tulip Award” to Ms. Li Qiaochu in recognition of her contributions to women’s and labor rights.
In the 4th statement of the last session of the Human Rights Council, the EU raised the case of Li Qiaochu and other cases. For health reasons, the EU demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Li.
Li Qiaochu’s judgment:
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