Denver Newsroom, Mar 28, 2022 / 17:00 pm
Li Qiaochu, a prominent Christian and labor rights activist in China, has been imprisoned for more than a year. Her supporters say she wrongly faces a charge of inciting subversion and worry she is being mistreated while in detention.
The People’s Procuratorate of Linyi City, in the eastern province of Shandong, filed the indictment before the Intermediate People’s Court on Feb. 28. They accused Li of working to overthrow China’s socialist system and charged her with inciting subversion of state power, a charge punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Li’s boyfriend, Dr. Xu Zhiyong, is a 49-year-old imprisoned rights activist and constitutional scholar who is a leader with the New Citizens’ Movement. The loose movement of activists oppose corruption, campaign for civil and political rights, and organize meals to foster discussion about social and legal issues, BBC News reported in 2014.
The indictment charges that she posted Xu’s subversive writings online in September 2019.