Current:Home > InvestSupporters say China's Sophia Huang Xueqin, #MeToo journalist and activist, sentenced to jail for "subversion" -ProsperityStream Academy
Supporters say China's Sophia Huang Xueqin, #MeToo journalist and activist, sentenced to jail for "subversion"
View
Date:2025-04-14 12:31:12
Prominent #MeToo journalist and activist Sophia Huang Xueqin, 36, was convicted by a court in China of "subversion against the state" on Friday and given a five year prison sentence, according to her supporters.
Huang reported groundbreaking stories about sexual abuse victims and survivors in China, and had spoken about misogyny and sexism she faced herself in newsrooms of the state-run media. Her trial was held behind closed doors at the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court in southern China.
The verdict was not immediately confirmed by Chinese judicial authorities.
Huang was detained alongside labor rights activist Wang Jianbing in 2021 at an airport in Guangzhou. Their supporters say they were held in solitary confinement for months during their pre-trial detention, and that the trial only began in September 2023.
According to a Friday social media posts by the "Free Huang Xueqin & Wang Jianbing" group, the charges against Huang related to meetings she had led in Guangzhou from late 2020, during which the court ruled she had "incited participants' dissatisfaction with Chinese state power under the pretext of discussing social issues."
- Woman's appeal rejected in landmark China #MeToo case
The supporters' group said Wang was also sentenced on Friday, to three years and six months in prison, on the same charges.
#Update The verdict was delivered this morning. #HuangXueqin received a 5-year prison sentence, and #WangJianbing was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months. Huang declared in court that she would appeal. Wang's decision to appeal is pending, upon consultation with his lawyer. pic.twitter.com/LmpKO8CHXR
— Free Huang Xueqin & Wang Jianbing 释放雪饼 (@FreeXueBing) June 14, 2024
When she was arrested at the airport, Huang had been on her way to start working toward a masters degree in Britain, on a U.K.-government sponsored scholarship program.
The convictions "show just how terrified the Chinese government is of the emerging wave of activists who dare to speak out to protect the rights of others," Amnesty International's China Director Sarah Brooks told CBS News' partner network BBC News on Friday.
Amnesty International called the convictions "malicious and totally groundless."
Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on activists working in different fields in 2021, BBC News reported.
"#MeToo activism has empowered survivors of sexual violence around the world, but in this case, the Chinese authorities have sought to do the exact opposite by stamping it out," Brooks said.
- In:
- Discrimination
- Women
- Sexual Harassment
- Human Rights
- #MeToo Movement
- China
- Asia
Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (2652)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Get Over to Athleta's Online Warehouse Sale for Chic Activewear up to 70% off, Finds Start at $12
- Watch dad break down when Airman daughter returns home for his birthday after 3 years
- Maryland candidates debate abortion rights in widely watched US Senate race
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Strong opposition delays vote on $1.5M settlement over deadly police shooting
- The 2025 Critics Choice Awards Is Coming to E!: All the Details
- Donald Trump’s Daughter Tiffany Trump Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Michael Boulos
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Andy Cohen Reacts to NYE Demands After Anderson Cooper Gets Hit by Hurricane Milton Debris
Ranking
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Social Security COLA shrinks for 2025 to 2.5%, the smallest increase since 2021
- Texas lawmakers signal openness to expanding film incentive program
- ACC commissioner Jim Phillips bullish on league's future amid chaos surrounding college athletics
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Who shot a sea lion on a California beach? NOAA offers $20K reward for information
- Tori Spelling Shares Update on Dean McDermott Relationship Amid Divorce
- Relatives of passengers who died in Boeing Max crashes will face off in court with the company
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
Priscilla Presley’s Ex-Boyfriend Michael Edwards Denies Molesting Lisa Marie Presley When She Was 10
Yes, French President Emmanuel Macron and the Mayor of Rome Are Fighting Over Emily in Paris
Abortion has passed inflation as the top election issue for women under 30, survey finds
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Mike Tyson names his price after Jake Paul's $5 million incentive offer
Harris viewed more positively by Hispanic women than by Hispanic men: AP-NORC poll
While Dodgers are secretive for Game 5, Padres just want to 'pop champagne'