Institutions of Democratic Governance

Detailed Charges Against Zhu Yufu

On February 10, 2012, the Hangzhou Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced democracy advocate Zhu Yufu to seven years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power," a crime under Article 105, Paragraph 2, of China's Criminal Law, according to the court's judgment released by ChinaAid (10 February 12). The court also sentenced Zhu to three years' deprivation of political rights upon completion of his sentence. The court declared Zhu a recidivist, and based on Articles 65 and 66 of the Criminal Law, gave him a heavier punishment. In the court's judgment, authorities cited several of Zhu's writings and his activities associated with an "illegal" democracy party as evidence of "incitement," as noted below.

Background on Candidate Nomination Processes

The Suining Municipal Intermediate People's Court in Sichuan province sentenced democracy activist Chen Wei on December 23, 2011, to nine years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power" (Associated Press via Washington Post, 23 December 11; New York Times, 23 December 11). Inciting subversion is a crime under Article 105, Paragraph 2, of the Criminal Law.

The Information Office of the State Council issued China's first white paper on corruption titled "China's Efforts to Combat Corruption and Build a Clean Government" (English) (Chinese) on December 29, 2010, which acknowledges that corruption in China remains a problem and attributes its persistence to changes in China's economic and social systems as well as "incomplete anti-corruption mechanisms." The white paper followed reported statements by Premier Wen Jiabao saying that the root of corruption lies with the failure to restrict and supervise authority and that corruption is the largest threat to Communist Party rule and government legitimacy (China Review, 27 August 10).

Ding Mao and Chen Wei Cases Twice Transferred to Public Security Officials for Supplementary Investigation