Thread: China journalist jailed as free-speech clampdown intensifies

A journalist who had worked for some of China's most powerful propaganda outlets has been jailed for 15 years after being accused of attacking the ruling Communist Party, court documents showed.


The sentence handed down on Chen Jieren is one of the harshest moves yet against free speech by China's government under President Xi Jinping, who has muzzled the press and ordered Chinese media outlets to serve the ruling Communist Party's interests.


It comes as China faces international scrutiny over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including questions over whether authorities covered up crucial information that could have prevented it spreading globally.


Chen, a former journalist with Communist mouthpiece People's Daily, was convicted Thursday of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble, extortion, illegal business operations and bribery," a court in central Hunan province said in a statement posted online.


The charge of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" is a catch-all that Chinese authorities sometimes use against people who criticise the regime.


The court statement said Chen had posted "false" and "negative" information online "to hype relevant cases under the guise of providing legal advice."


It said Chen was part of an "evil force" along with his ex-wife and three other people that illegally accrued 7.3 million yuan ($1 million) from their activities.


The Chinese Human Rights Defenders watchdog said Chen was convicted "apparently to punish him for his political speech on WeChat and other social media platforms", calling for his immediate and unconditional release.


It said Chen had been sacked from state media outlets including the China Youth Daily, Beijing Daily, and People's Daily.


Since then he had published online commentaries and investigative reports on social media.


The group accused Chinese authorities of denying Chen a fair trial.




- Silencing critics -


China has faced criticism after authorities in the coronavirus origin city of Wuhan reprimanded whistle-blowers who sought to raise an early alarm about the virus, prompting accusations that the cover-up may have fuelled the pandemic.


Authorities also clamped down on Chinese citizen-journalists reporting on the pandemic's effects.


China in February expelled 13 US journalists with the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal who were among foreign outlets reporting extensively on the coronavirus in China.


Beijing said the move was in retaliation for new restrictions on the number of Chinese nationals who can work for its state-run propaganda outlets on US soil.


But the expulsions have prompted alarm, with media organisations and the three newspapers warning that the action imperils "access to critical information" about the pandemic.


Chinese freedom of expression has always been tightly controlled by the Communist Party but that grip has become suffocating under Xi.


A Chinese court last year sentenced "cyber-dissident" Huang Qi, whose website reported on sensitive topics including human rights, to 12 years in prison for “leaking state secrets.”


Space for independent discussion has shrunk further this year as Xi's government has sought to deflect blame for the virus, which scientists believe emerged from a wild animal market in Wuhan.


Ren Zhiqiang, an outspoken Chinese Communist Party critic and millionaire property tycoon, was detained after he penned an essay fiercely critical of Xi's response to the outbreak.


Three Beijing-based internet activists also have disappeared and are believed to be held by police for archiving censored coronavirus news stories online, a relative of one of the activists said this week.

China journalist jailed as free-speech clampdown intensifies | AFP.com

Poor Mr. Shithole, he's too sensitive for a job like that.

While I'm sympathetic surely these guys know what to expect.
They know the rules.

Originally Posted by Cujo

While I'm sympathetic surely these guys know what to expect.
They know the rules.

It's called "courage".

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It's called "courage".

It mabe CALLED courage,
But it's stupid.
How do they expect to further their clause from where they are now?

Originally Posted by Cujo

It mabe CALLED courage,
But it's stupid.
How do they expect to further their clause from where they are now?

I realise you probably can't empathise, but perhaps if you were in his shoes, you might feel differently.

Some places you can't say what you want, and others you can't ask what you want.

I can't complain
(well actually I can)

Originally Posted by Cujo

How do they expect to further their clause from where they are now?

It is BECAUSE they furthered their cause that they are where they are now

Originally Posted by misskit

China journalist jailed as free-speech clampdown intensifies

Not so "exceptional", it occurs also in other countries: (double standard)


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Originally Posted by Klondyke

Not so "exceptional", it occurs also in other countries: (double standard)


Newsweek reporter fired after 'inaccurate' story about Trump's Thanksgiving schedule

Why do you compare jailed for 15 years in China with fired in U.S?
You don't understand the difference?

Originally Posted by panama hat

Who the fuck cares if it occurs elsewhere in this context, this is a story about China - why not take your defensive whataboutism and shove it up your arse

Sellotape this to the bottom of your computer screen if you would, please Klondick.

Originally Posted by lom

Why do you compare jailed for 15 years in China with fired in U.S?
You don't understand the difference?

Of course not, he's a fucking idiot who follows HoHo from thread to thread trying to parrot his snivelling chinky sycophancy.

Somebody mixed the topics... (of "double standards")
https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-as...ml#post4097964 (Cambodian PM Hun Sen’s Niece Buys Cypriot Villas For €2.5 Million)

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Somebody mixed the topics... (of "double standards")

Nice try . . . again:

Originally Posted by Klondyke

You even quoted me, with the China jailing reference . . . and then posted your usual apologist bullshit. Now you're denying it?

He really is so fucking dumb.

I read somewhere else that:

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) jailed a former Chinese state media journalist who turned into an anti-corruption journalist because he “attacked and vilified the Communist Party and government.”

"Vilified" the govt.
Hopefully, he did not disclose something like (what was his or her??? name) had helped to disclose, for this would be 15 years surely not enough in China (or anywhere else)...


BTW, I read that:

Chen was jailed two years after he published two articles on his personal website that accused CCP officials of being corrupt.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

BTW, I read that:
Chen was jailed two years after he published two articles on his personal website that accused CCP officials of being corrupt.

Yes he was not jailed immediately after the publishing, they took him two years later.
It is called "remembering and waiting for the right opportunity"

Originally Posted by Klondyke

I read somewhere else that:

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Somebody mixed the topics... (of "double standards")

Still sticking to your lie?

This isn't unheard of.. any journalist or anyone going against the government will get killed, fined or disappear.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It's called "courage".

death wish, sadly.

Originally Posted by lom

Yes he was not jailed immediately after the publishing, they took him two years later.
It is called "remembering and waiting for the right opportunity"

Standard procedure, pretend to ignore certain misbehaviour while building up your dossiers for use at some time in the future.

Everyone does it, which is why fex tyrants get away with real nasty stuff but only until the compiler decides to popularise a hatefest as cover to act, either to set an example or to divert attention from other devious stuff they're up to.

The CPC would have dossiers on almost everyone, probably including each other, which helps to keep everyone tiptoeing along the fixed and inflexible ideological track.

First offence.

If anyone wants to sort through the garbled sinospeak verdict-
"Network V" Chen Jieren was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 7.01 million yuan - Teller Report


Seems he extorted and bribed, gained unfair pecuniary advantage, at least according to the people's revolutionary council. I'm surprised that is even considered a crime in China.
He'll probably be released within 5 years, after a period of re-education & publishment of a suitably grovelling apology, with assurance to the great mass of the people's council that he is thoroughly re-educated.
I'm getting a sense of deja vu.

Originally Posted by jabir

The CPC would have dossiers on almost everyone, probably including each other, which helps to keep everyone tiptoeing along the fixed and inflexible ideological track.

Surely not . . . one can hear a surprised *GASP* emanating from the OhOh/Klondyke corner

Originally Posted by sabang

If anyone wants to sort through the garbled sinospeak verdict-
"Network V" Chen Jieren was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 7.01 million yuan - Teller Report

Yet, according to our little mate, K, it's the same as getting fired