Chen Jieren (Chinese: 陈杰人; pinyin: Chén Jiérén, born 1972) is a Chinese journalist, editor and blogger. In 2012 he was described by The Economist as "a well-known commentator in Beijing on legal affairs"[1] and in 2015, New York Times called him a "a well-known Beijing-based commentator on politics".[2] In 2020 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison after accusing local Communist Party officials of corruption.[3]

Early life and education

Chen Jieren was born to a peasant family.[4] He graduated from the Law School of Tsinghua University in 2001.[5]

Career

Chen Jieren worked as a journalist and editor for Chinese state media, including the Southern Weekend, China Youth Daily, Beijing Daily and the People's Daily.[6][7][8][9] He has been fired from many outlets (from China Youth Daily in 2003, from China Philanthropy Times in 2005, from The Public Interest Times in 2006, and from People's Daily in 2011) for reporting on controversial scandals and criticism of the government.[7][9][10][11]

His 2003 report on prostitution in China by university students, to pay for their tuition fees, is said to have sparked a country-wide debate about the issue.[12] Later he started his own blog focused on anti-corruption activism and was known to be critical of party officials.[6][13] He also posted online reports on the Chinese microblogging platforms like WeChat.[9][10]

Arrest

The blogging activities, particularly his posts about alleged corruption by Communist Party officials in Hunan, led to his arrest in 2018, and in 2020 after about two years of being kept in isolation he received a sentence of 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of 7 million yuan for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble, extortion, blackmail and bribery".[6][7][10][14] His brother was also arrested on related charges and sentenced to four years of imprisonment.[7] Chinese state media reported that Chen Jieren has “sabotaged the reputation of the party and the government and damaged the government’s credibility”.[3] Their sentence has been criticized by the human rights NGO Chinese Human Rights Defenders which stated that they did not receive a fair trial, that their right to free expression has been violated, and that their sentence is politically motivated.[9] Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza described his sentence as "draconian - even for China".[10] A number of media outlets noted that the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” is a "catch-all" term that Chinese authorities often use against people who are critical of the government.[3][7][10][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Policing the party". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Forsythe, Michael; Ansfield, Jonathan (22 August 2015). "Fading Economy and Graft Crackdown Rattle China's Leaders". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Goff, Peter. "Chinese journalist jailed for 15 years for criticising Communist Party". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "从"网络大V"到"网络害虫"——陈杰人涉嫌敲诈勒索、非法经营罪案件透视. 新華網". Archived from the original on 16 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "陈杰人". china.cnr.cn. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Griffiths, James (May 2020). "Chinese journalist jailed for 15 years for 'vilifying the Communist Party and government'". CNN. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Sou-Jie Van Brunnersum, Melissa (1 May 2020). "China jails journalist for 'picking quarrels' with Communist Party | DW | 1 May 2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "China Journalist Jailed as Free-Speech Clampdown Intensifies". Voice of America. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "China: Release Journalist Chen Jieren Imprisoned for 15 Years for Criticising CCP | Chinese Human Rights Defenders". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Kruczkowska, Maria (4 May 2020). "Chiny: Bloger skazany na 15 lat więzienia. "Prowokował do niepokojów"". wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Chinese News Editor Fired over Web Site Critique". NPR.org. Retrieved 3 June 2020.; Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance 1961, as Amended. Department of State. 2006. p. 799.; "Chen Jieren". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  12. ↑ Jeffreys, Elaine (14 June 2012). Prostitution Scandals in China: Policing, Media and Society. Routledge. pp. 48–52. ISBN 978-1-136-31259-5.
  13. ↑ "Another Journalist Expelled – As China's Abuses Grow, Who Will See Them?". Human Rights Watch. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  14. ↑ Impelli, Matthew (1 May 2020). "Chinese journalist sentenced to 15 years in prison for publishing negative information about Communist Party". Newsweek. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "China journalist Chen Jieren jailed as free-speech clampdown intensifies". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. AFP. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.; "Chinese journalist gets 15 years in prison for attacking Communist Party". South China Morning Post. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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