CECC staff prepared the following translation of the judgment in the Zhang Lin incitement of subversion of state power trial, based on a version that was said to have been provided by Zhang Lin's wife, Fang Cao, to New Century Net. The original Chinese version of the judgment can be viewed by clicking "more" below.
Additional background on this case is available here.
Zhang Lin "Criminal Written Judgment"
([2005] Beng Criminal Preliminary Document Number 30)
Anhui Province Bengbu Municipality Intermediate People's Court
Public Prosecution Agency Anhui Province Bengbu Municipality People's Procuratorate
Defendant Zhang Lin, Male, Born June 2, 1963, Han, Resident of Huai Yuan District, Anhui province, junior college graduate, Internet writer, Hukou located at No. 12, Unit 1, 984 Tushan Road, Bengbu Municipality, Anhui Province, prior to arrest resided at No. 106, 130 Dong, Da Qing New Residential Quarter, Bengbu Municipality. On February 13, 1991 he was sentenced to two years imprisonment and one year deprivation of political rights by the Bengbu Municipality Intermediate People's Court for counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement. He was released on June 7, 1991 following completion of his sentence. On February 13, 2005 he was criminally detained by the Bengbu municipal public security office in connection with this case, and on March 19 of the same year he was arrested in accordance with the law, and is currently in custody in the Bengbu municipal Number 1 detention center.
Defense attorney Mo Shaoping, Beijing Mo Shaoping Law Firm
The Bengbu municipal People's Procuratorate charged the defendant Zhang Lin with inciting subversion of state power, and on May 26, 2005 in accordance with the Bengbu Procuratorate Criminal Indictment Document [2005] Number 27 filed an indictment with this court. This court constituted a bench trial in accordance with the law, and tried this case in open court. The Bengbu Municipal People's Procuratorate appointed procurator Li Chun to appear in support of the indictment. Defendant Zhang Lin and his defense counsel Mo Shaoping appeared in court to participate in the trial. The hearing has now concluded.
The Bengbu Municipal People's Procuratorate charged: From August 2003 through January 2005, the defendant Zhang Lin publicly posted 192 essays under his name on such Web sites as "Boxun News Net," [Peacehall.com] "Dajiyuan" [Epoch Times], "China View," and "Democracy Forum," and of these, "A Single Drunkard Scared Off 10,000 Communist Parties," "Pan Gu's Orchestra: The Hysterical Roar of the Chinese People," "The Whole Army Was Destroyed," "The Volcano That Will Never Again Be Silent," "Thoughts After Reading the 'Nine Critiques of the Communist Party'," and "The Power of Great Language: A Discussion of the 'Nine Critiques'," included contents that did such things as oppose the basic principles set forth in the Constitution, threaten the nation’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, spread rumors, disrupt social order, and harm social stability. Public prosecutorial agencies relied upon evidence including Zhang Lin’s confession and plea, written evidence, material evidence, audio-visual materials, and criminal forensic authentication to conclude that the defendant Zhang Lin's behavior constituted incitement of subversion of state power, and made submission to the court for punishment in accordance with the law.
Defendant Zhang Lin confessed to the facts of the charges in the indictment that he published signed essays on the Internet. During the hearing he argued that publishing essays on the Internet is a right to freedom of expression given citizens by the Constitution, and that the fundamental intent in writing the essays was not to incite subversion of state power. It was not appropriate for the public prosecutorial agency to piece together a few passages from his essays to charge him with a crime.
The defense attorney did not object to the facts of the charges in the indictment. At the court hearing he raised the following reasons for the prosecutorial agency not being able to establish the charge that the defendant committed the crime of inciting subversion of state power: 1. The indictment document's contents were suspected of taking quotes out of context; 2. The evidence the prosecutorial agency presented currently fails to prove that Zhang Lin subjectively intended to incite subversion of state power; 3. There is no legal basis upon which to determine that the defendant Zhang Lin's behavior of publishing essays on the Internet is behavior that incites subversion of state power; 4. Zhang Lin's publication of essays on the Internet is a kind of freedom of expression, and is a basic right enjoyed by citizens.
The following was ascertained during the hearing: On January 12, 2003, defendant Zhang Lin, after having purchased a computer, did register to go on the Internet with the Bengbu municipal branch of the Anhui Provincial Telecommunications Limited Liability Company, and did publish signed essays.
From January 9, 2004 through January 15, 2005, defendant Zhang Lin utilized the Internet to at one point or another publish such essays as "Pan Gu's Orchestra: The Hysterical Roar of the Chinese People," "The Whole Army Was Destroyed," "The Volcano That Will Never Again Be Silent" on such Web sites as "Boxun News Net," [Peacehall.com] and "Dajiyuan" [Epoch Times], and did on December 12, 2004 accept an interview with the foreign radio program "Voice of Hope." In the essays and the interview Zhang Lin fabricated stories. He concocted and spread false facts, and incited the masses to subvert state power and overthrow the socialist system.
The aforementioned facts were verified based on the following evidence presented in court:
1. The defendant Zhang Lin confessed to the facts charged in the indictment that he used a computer to utilize the Internet to publish the six signed essays charged in the indictment on "Boxun News Net," [Peacehall.com] and "Dajiyuan" [Epoch Times] and other Web sites, and accepted an interview with the foreign radio program "Voice of Hope." He also admitted to the contents of the six essays that the investigating agency downloaded from the Internet;
2. The investigating agency verified from the computer registration Internet access agreement collected from the Bengbu municipal branch of the Anhui Provincial Telecommunications Limited Liability Company that the computer used by Zhang Lin did on January 12, 2003 register and sign on the Internet with that company;
3. The investigating agency's investigation notes made on the scene verify that the location of the commission of the offense was Zhang Lin's residence at the No. 106, 130 Dong, Da Qing New Residential Quarter, Xiahui District, Bengbu Municipality, and upon turning on the computer in his room and carrying out a survey, did discover a large number of essays signed by Zhang Lin. They collected the computer itself (without a covering box, inside was a SeagateST340016A hard drive) and a monitor;
4. The Anhui provincial public security office Anhui Informational [2005] Number 001 Electronic Data Expert Authentication Document verified that, through the utilization of specialized electronic data evidence collection tools to carry out collection of evidence from the ST340016A hard drive delivered by the investigating agency, it was discovered that on this hard drive was saved 126 DOC files, and amongst these were "The Whole Army Was Destroyed," Thoughts After Reading the "Nine Critiques of the Communist Party," and "The Volcano That Will Never Again Be Silent;" they collected the computer's daily records of Internet access, Web pages from online, 31 postal items and their contents and phone contacts of foreign personnel, and a document "dizhi.doc" [addresses.doc] of electronic email addresses. This proved that Zhang Lin used this computer to write essays, and through electronic mail submitted them to foreign Web sites or individuals, and simultaneously used linzhang963yahoo.com, zhanglin1963hotmail.com electronic mail boxes to contact foreign personnel;
5. The public information network security supervision division of the Anhui provincial public security office provided written evidence of network inspection and control, verifying that from August 2003 through January 2005 defendant Zhang Lin published over 100 essays on "Dajiyuan" [Epoch Times], and "Boxun News Net," [Peacehall.com], and included among these were the six messages charged in the indictment;
6. The investigating agency produced a CD-R optical disc containing the contents Zhang Lin's interview with the "Voice of Hope" radio program. On April 25, 2005 the People's Republic of China Ministry of Public Security provided the expert appraisal [2005] Material Evidence Authentication Document Number 1552, verifying that the CD-R optical disc is a recording of a conversation, and verified that the person being interviewed in the recording is a sample recording of Zhang Lin. Public prosecutors played the CD-R optical disc in court, and Zhang Lin did not object to the weight of its contents;
7. The public prosecutorial agency produced live pictures, provided by the public information network security supervision division of the Anhui provincial public security office, of the original "Dajiyuan" [Epoch Times], and "Boxun News Net," [Peacehall.com] Web pages at the time that the essays were published, and were identified and verified as correct by the defendant Zhang Lin;
8. The Anhui Province, Bengbu Municipality Intermediate People's Court [1990] Criminal Preliminary Document Number 026 Criminal Verdict verified that on February 13, 1991 Zhang Lin was sentenced to two years imprisonment and one year deprivation of political rights for committing the crime of counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement.
This court holds: Defendant Zhang Lin at one time was criminally punished for committing the crime of counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement, and following his release after completion of his sentence remained dissatisfied with the socialist system. To unspecified users on the Internet, he directly disseminated false facts, manufactured rumors, incited subversion of state power, overthrew our country's socialist system, behavior which has harmed our country's national security, constituting the crime of incitement of subversion of state power. The crime charged by the public prosecutorial agency has been established. The defendant Zhang Lin is a recidivist, and shall be severely punished in accordance with the law. The content of the essays that defendant Zhang Lin published on the Internet unequivocally reflects the defendant Zhang Lin's subjective criminal intent to incite subversion of state power. The defense opinion of [Zhang Lin] and his defense attorney that "Zhang Lin's publication of essays on the Internet lacked the subjective intent to incite subversion of state power, and lacked the objective behavior of inciting subversion of state power, and that it is a right to freedom of expression given citizens by the Constitution" lacked relevant evidence for verification, and therefore is not accepted as true. Accordingly, in accordance with the stipulations of Article 105 paragraph 2, Article 56 paragraph 1, Article 54, Article 55 paragraph 1, and Article 66 of the "People's Republic of China Criminal Law," and Article 2(1) the "Decision Regarding Safeguarding Internet Security" of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, it is hereby decided that:
Defendant Zhang Lin committed the crime of inciting subversion of state power, and is sentenced to five years imprisonment and four years deprivation of political rights (the sentence to be calculated from the date this verdict is executed. For the detention prior to this verdict's execution, one day of the detention to be set off against one day of the sentence, which is to say from February 13, 2005 through February 12, 2010).
If [the defendant] does not accept this verdict, [he] may within 10 days after the second day after receiving this verdict bring an appeal through this court or directly to the Anhui provincial High People's Court. Any written appeal should include one original and two copies of the aforementioned verdict.
Presiding Judge Gu Qian Judge Luo Tao Judge Chen Jie
July 28, 2005
Secretary Wang Shengfa
张林《刑事判决书》
（〔2005〕蚌刑初字第30号）
安徽省蚌埠市中级人民法庭
公诉机关安徽省蚌埠市人民检察院。
被告人张林，男，1963年6月2日出生，汉族，安徽省怀远县人，大专文化，网络撰稿人，户籍所在地安徽省蚌埠市涂山路984号1单元12号，捕前 住蚌埠市大庆新村一村130栋106号。1991年2月13日因犯反革命宣称煽动罪被蚌埠市中级人民法院判处有期徒刑2年，剥夺政治权利1年。1991年 6月7日刑满释放。2005年2月13日因本案被蚌埠市公安局刑事拘留，同年3月19日被依法执行逮捕。现羁押在蚌埠市第一看守所。
辩护人莫少平，北京莫少平律师事务所律师。
蚌埠市人民检察院指控被告人张林犯煽动颠覆国家政权罪，于2005年5月26日以蚌检刑诉字〔2005〕27号起诉书向本院提起公诉。本院依法组成 合议庭，公开开庭审理了本案。蚌埠市人民检察院指派检察员李春出庭支持公诉。被告人张林及其辩护人莫少平到庭参加诉讼。现已审理终结。
蚌埠市人民检察院指控：2003年8月至2005年1月期间，被告人张林在《博讯新闻网》、《大纪元》、《看中国》、《民主论坛》等网站，公开发表 署名文章192篇，其中《一个醉鬼吓跑一万个共产党》、《盘古乐队──中华民族歇斯底里的怒吼》、《全军覆没》、《不再沉默的火山》、《〈九评共产党〉读 后感》、《伟大语言的力量──论〈九评〉》中含有反对宪法确定的基本原则、危害国家统一、主权和领土完整、散布谣言，扰乱社会秩序，破坏社会稳定等内容。 公诉机关据被告人张林的供述和辩解、书证、物证、视听资料、刑事科学技术鉴定结论等证据，认为被告人张林的行为构成煽动颠覆国家政权罪，提请法庭依法惩 处。
被告人张林对起诉书指控其在互联网上发表署名文章的事实供认不讳。庭审时辩称，在互联网上发表文章是宪法赋予公民言论自由的权利，写文章的本意并不是煽动颠覆国家政权。公诉机关将其文章中的几段话拼凑起来指控其犯罪不妥当。
辩护人对起诉书指控的事实没有异议。庭审时提出，公诉人指控被告人张林触犯煽动颠覆国家政权罪不能成立，理由是１、起诉书指控内容有断章取义之 嫌；２、公诉人移送的现有证据不能证明张林主观上有煽动颠覆国家政权的故意；３、没有法律依据可以认定被告人张林在互联网上发表文章的行为是煽动颠覆国家 政权的行为；４、张林在网络上发表文章是一种言论自由，是一个公民所享有的基本权利。
经审理查明：被告人张林购置电脑后于2003年1月12日在安徽省电信有限公司蚌埠市分公司登记上网，并发表署名文章。2004年1月9日至 2005年1月15日，被告人张林利用互联网先后向《博讯新闻网》、《大纪元》等网站发表了《盘古乐队──中华民族歇斯底里的怒吼》《全军覆没》、《不再 沉默的火山》等文章，并在2004年12月30日接受境外电台“希望之声”采访。在文章和采访中张林无中生有。捏造并散布虚假事实，煽动公众颠覆国家政 权、推翻社会主义制度。
上述事实，有以下经当庭质证的证据予以证实：
１、被告人张林对起诉书指控其使用计算机利用互联网向《大纪元》“博讯新闻网”等多家网站发表含起诉书指控的6篇署名文章及接受境外电台“希望之声”采访的事实供认不讳。并对侦查机关从互联网上下载的6篇文章的内容予以确认；
２、侦查机关从安徽省电信有限公司蚌埠市分公司提取的电脑登记上网协议证实，张林使用的计算机于2003年1月12日在该公司注册登记上网；
３、侦查机关制作的现场勘查笔录证实，作案地点位于蚌埠市禹会区大庆新一村130栋106号张林住所，打开房间内的电脑进行浏览，发现大量署名张林的文章。现场提取电脑主机（无机箱盖，内有SeagateST340016A硬盘一个）和显示器；
４、安徽省公安厅皖公鉴字〔2005〕001号电子数据鉴定书证实，通过使用专用电子数据取证工具对检送的ST340016A硬盘进行取证，发现该 硬盘中共存有编辑的DOC文档126个，其中含有《全军覆没》、《九评共产党》读后感、《不再沉没的火山》；提取了该计算机上网日志、上网网页、邮件31 个及内容与境外人员联系的电话、电子邮件地址“dizhi.doc”文件。证明张林利用该台式计算机撰写稿件，通过电子邮件向境外网站或给个人投稿，同时 使用 linzhang1963yahoo.com、zhanglin1963hotmail.com电子信箱与境外人员联系。
５、安徽省公安厅公共信息网络安全监察处出具的网络监控证明书，证实2003年8月至2005年1月被告人张林在《大纪元》、《博讯新闻网》发表了百余篇文章，其中包含起诉书指控的6篇文章；
６、侦查机关将张林接受“希望之声”电台采访内容制作成CD─R光盘。2005年4月25日中华人民共和国公安部作出〔2005〕公物证鉴字 1552号物证鉴定书，证实送检的CD─R光盘是谈话录音，检材录音中的被采访人是样本录音中的张林。公诉人当庭播放该CD─R光盘，张林对其承载内容没 有异议；
７、公诉机关当庭出示的现场照片、安徽省公安厅公共信息网络安全监察处提供的张林在《大纪元》、“博讯新闻网”等网站发表文章时的原始网页，经被告人张林辨认无误；
８、安徽省蚌埠市中级人民法院〔1990〕刑初字第026号刑事判决书证实，1991年2月13日张林因犯“反革命宣传煽动”罪，被判处有期徒刑2年，剥夺政治权利1年。
本院认为：被告人张林曾因犯“反革命宣传煽动”罪被处刑，刑满释放后仍对社会主义制度不满，在互联网上向不特定的用户直接散布虚假事实、制造谣言， 煽动颠覆国家政权，推翻我国社会主义制度，其行为已危害了我国国家安全，构成煽动颠覆国家政权罪。公诉机关指控罪名成立。被告人张林具有累犯情节，应依法 从重处罚。被告人张林在互联网上发表的文章，内容已明确反映了被告人张林主观上具有煽动颠覆国家政权的犯罪故意。其本人及辩护人辩称“张林在互联网上发表 文章，主观上不具有煽动颠覆国家政权的故意，客观上不具有煽动颠覆国家政权的行为，是宪法赋予公民言论自由的权利”的辩护意见无相关证据予以证实，故不予 采信。据此，依照《中华人民共和国刑法》第105条第2款、第56条第1款、第54条、第55条第1款、第66条及全国人民代表大会常务委员会《关于维护 互联网安全的决定》第2条第（1）项之规定，判决如下：
被告人张林犯煽动颠覆国家政权罪，判处有期徒刑5年，剥夺政治权利4年（刑期自判决执行之日起算。判决执行前现行羁押的，羁押1日折抵刑期1日，即自2005年2月13日起至2010年2月12日止）。
如不服本判决，可在接到判决书的第2日起10日内，通过本院或者直接向安徽省高级人民法院提出上诉。书面上诉的，应当提交上诉状正本1份，副本2份。
审判长顾倩审判员骆涛审判员陈颉
2005年7月28日
书记员王胜法
（《新世纪》收到芳草寄来的影印扫描的版本，此处采用的是洪哲胜先生推荐的民主论坛编辑过的版本）(8/3/2005 1:11)
