Whistleblower Ai Fen Wins Defamation Case but Faces Total Social Media Ban

The image shows a representation of the CCP Virus (COVID-19 virus). (Pixabay)

[People News] Ai Fen, a Wuhan-based doctor and one of the earliest whistleblowers of the COVID-19 outbreak, has won a defamation lawsuit over her exposure of medical misconduct. However, following the court’s ruling in her favor, she has been banned from all major Chinese social media platforms. A close friend confirmed to RFA that Ai Fen’s Weibo account, which had 2 million followers and was used to expose healthcare issues, was shut down. Even a newly registered account, created after her legal victory and not yet used, was immediately banned, leading to suspicions of retaliation.

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, Ai Fen, an emergency room doctor in Wuhan who was regarded as a COVID-19 "whistleblower" alongside Li Wenliang, has drawn public attention after being silenced online. In recent years, through her Weibo account "Emergency Sunflower Ai Fen," which had more than two million followers, she exposed multiple instances of alleged misconduct at Aier Eye Hospital, including doctors punching patients during surgery and suspected bribery of public officials. Since 2021, Duan Saimin—Aier Hospital's Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Public Affairs—has continuously defamed Ai Fen through posts on Weibo. Ai sued Duan and two others for defamation, and the Jianghan District People’s Court in Wuhan recently ruled in her favor. Yet, around the same time, her Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and several other social media accounts were banned.

Ai Fen’s friend, Zhao Li, confirmed the situation and said Ai learned her accounts were blocked just before the court's ruling, via a tip-off from an Aier Eye Hospital employee.

Zhao Li said, “On the afternoon of March 31, an employee from Aier Eye Hospital forwarded screenshots from an internal work group to Ai Fen, revealing that all her accounts had been banned. When she checked, she found that even unused accounts like Xiaohongshu and her WeChat public account were all deactivated. On April 2, just half an hour after the court issued the verdict on her lawsuit against Duan Saimin and the others, she tried to register a new Weibo account—but even that got banned before she could post a single word. Isn’t that strange?”

Ai Fen's Ban Likely Linked to Defendant's Cybersecurity Background

Zhao Li stated that internal communication screenshots from Aier employees suggest the ban was backed by relevant authorities. She also revealed that Duan Saimin has ties to China’s Cyberspace Administration. Before the court ruling, Duan had repeatedly tried to settle the case out of court, but Ai Fen refused, possibly triggering retaliation.

Zhao said, “Duan Saimin viciously attacked her online. Ai hoped the court would recognize his defamatory behavior, and even when Duan personally visited the hospital to seek reconciliation, she refused. Look at his background—he used to be a project review expert for China’s Cyberspace Administration and was also the director of the public opinion monitoring and analysis center at Xinhua Net. Considering the timing of the bans, Ai and I both strongly suspect that this has everything to do with Duan and the lawsuit’s outcome.”

Friend: Ai Fen Has Lost a Vital Platform for Telling the Truth

Zhao Li revealed that Ai Fen intends to keep exposing medical malpractice and will attempt to petition the Cyberspace Administration to unban her accounts. However, the process of defending her rights may be long. Ai’s greatest concern is that more patients will fall victim to medical negligence.

Zhao said, “Fenfen said that if she were thinking only of herself, she could’ve accepted a large compensation package from Aier Eye Hospital. But as a doctor, she refused. She believes the way Aier treats ordinary people is wrong and insists on exposing their medical issues, even if doing so offends many powerful interests. The banning of her accounts has taken away a critical platform—a place where she could tell the truth. She's deeply worried that Aier Eye Hospital will now continue to act recklessly, breaking rules and harming patients without accountability.”

Human Rights Lawyer: Ai Fen's Speech is Legal, Her Account Ban Linked to Suppression by Authorities

Wu Shaoping, a Chinese human rights lawyer currently based in the United States, stated that according to the publicly available judgment and its outcome, the court has confirmed that three senior executives from the hospital, including Duan Saimin, maliciously defamed Ai Fen. Following the verdict, the defamers have not fulfilled the court's requirements for an apology and compensation, while their social media accounts continue to function normally. In contrast, the victim's account has been banned, providing reasonable grounds to believe that Ai Fen is facing retaliation.

Wu Shaoping remarked: "Dr. Ai Fen is also one of the whistleblowers of the pandemic. The issues surrounding her account exposure and these hidden truths are fundamentally about social justice. Based on the regulations from the Chinese Communist Party's Cyberspace Administration, I do not believe that any of her (Ai Fen's) statements violate relevant regulations or laws, nor do they pose a threat to so-called national security information. However, the total ban on her account, while the accounts infringing on Dr. Ai Fen's rights remain active online, clearly indicates that someone is using their power to suppress Dr. Ai Fen."

Analysis: Ai Fen Achieves Judicial Justice but Loses Social Justice

Wu Shaoping noted that the banning of Ai Fen's account is a typical example of citizens suing officials or individuals with connections facing retaliation and suppression. He further pointed out that cases like that of Guo Li, a parent victim of tainted milk powder who was imprisoned for advocating for her rights, are all too common, underscoring the serious issue in China of those in power using their authority to suppress citizens.

Wu Shaoping stated, "Dr. Ai Fen has achieved judicial justice, but in doing so, she has lost her social justice. This situation illustrates the immense and malevolent power of the Chinese Communist Party. Those in power can manipulate their networks to distort the truth. Furthermore, she (Ai Fen) is not only an outstanding member of the Communist Party but also possesses professional expertise. Consider this: if she did not hold such a position, would her struggle for rights be even more challenging? The repercussions similar to those experienced by Guo Li are entirely plausible." 

Wu Shaoping recommended that while Ai Fen seeks to assert her rights with the Cyberspace Administration, she should also pursue a criminal complaint against those the court has identified as defamatory, thereby further seeking the justice she rightfully deserves.