Li Jianping Indicted for Subversion for Publishing Articles on the Internet

The Zibo Intermediate People’s Procuratorate in Shandong province, formally indicted businessman Li Jianping on March 7, 2006, on charges of "incitement to subvert state power," according to the procuratorate’s indictment. The indictment specifically alleges that Li "compiled and wrote 31 articles that libeled the socialist system, defamed Party and government leaders, and incited subversion of state power, and used e-mail to send them to ChinaEWeekly, Epoch Times, Democracy Forum, Global Forum, and other Web sites for publishing. Many Web sites reprinted these, and they were disseminated broadly."

Public security officials came to Li's home on May 27, 2005, to carry out an "Internet security inspection," and detained him on suspicion of defamation, according to a March 19 Human Rights in China (HRIC) press release. HRIC reported that on May 28, police searched Li's home again and seized manuscripts, communications and bank records, and overseas checks representing payments for his articles. Police also searched Li’s office, seizing documents and records. Public security officials held Li in detention at the Zhangdian public security office in Zibo for over a month, and the procuratorate did not authorize his arrest until June 30, 2005. The public security bureau submitted Li's case to the procuratorate on August 30, 2005, but the procuratorate sent the case back to the public security bureau on October 12 and again on December 26 for supplementary investigation because of insufficient evidence. The public security bureau submitted the case again on January 26, 2006, at which time Li’s defense attorney, Zhang Xingshui (who also represented Cai Zhuohua - a house church pastor whom Beijing authorities imprisoned for giving away bibles), submitted a statement to the procuratorate on the inadequacy of the evidence against Li.

Radio Free Asia reported on March 14 that it contacted the Zibo procuratorate regarding Li's case on March 14, but the person answering the phone said it was "inconvenient to discuss the case." Li's wife said she has not seen him since authorities took him into custody.

Li participated in the 1989 Democracy Movement as a founder of the Independent Federation of Shanghai Universities, HRIC reported. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists press release, he wrote frequently for overseas news Web sites banned in China (several of which were named in the indictment). Some of his articles discussed China's Communist Party leadership, including former and current Chinese presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao.