Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Qin Yongpei Released After Completing Sentence, Previously Reported Former Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua

Chinese human rights lawyer Qin Yongpei (Qin Yongpei’s wife’s account on Platform X)

People News — Chinese human rights lawyer Qin Yongpei, who previously reported former Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua by name, has been released after completing a five-year sentence for “inciting subversion of state power” on Thursday. It is understood that Qin Yongpei was sent back to Nanning by prison authorities, but his family has declined to disclose further details. There is widespread attention on whether Qin Yongpei and his family will continue to face monitoring and pressure from authorities after his release.

According to Radio Free Asia, Chinese human rights lawyer Qin Yongpei was detained over three years after establishing the “China Lawyers Club” and conducting interviews with overseas media. In 2023, the Guangxi Nanning Intermediate Court convicted him of “inciting subversion of state power,” sentencing him to five years. It is understood that he completed his sentence on Thursday (October 31), and his family received a notification from the prison the previous day stating that Qin Yongpei would be transported back to Nanning following the regulations and would first visit the judicial bureau before returning home. Qin Yongpei’s wife confirmed to the media that her husband was released on Thursday but could not disclose details.

According to informed sources, Qin Yongpei returned to Nanning in the morning from prison, accompanied by judicial personnel, and met his family in the afternoon. After his family publicly spoke up for Qin Yongpei previously, they received threats and now worry that high-profile actions could pose risks for him after his release. Sources say Qin Yongpei’s mother passed away while he was in detention, and now he must first handle her affairs, readjust to societal changes, and plan his future path. Qin Yongpei’s health is reportedly stable, and his freedom of movement is not restricted. He believes in “remaining upright without fear of shadows,” and will not be intimidated by government restrictions on freedom and surveillance.

Qin Yongpei, founder of Guangxi Baijuming Law Firm, specializes in providing legal assistance to vulnerable groups alongside other human rights lawyers. His social media accounts were banned due to his frequent online commentary criticizing CCP officials for abuse of power and human rights violations. In 2015, during the “709 Crackdown,” authorities detained him for interrogation, and he and several human rights lawyers subsequently had their licenses revoked. In 2018, Qin Yongpei formally reported the then-Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua and other officials for abuse of power and was detained by police in October 2019, remaining detained for over three years until his conviction in 2023.

Long-term Detention Raises Health Concerns; Monitoring After Release Remains Uncertain

Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping, who knows Qin Yongpei and now resides in the U.S., described Qin as a lawyer with responsibility, a strong sense of justice, and excellent speaking skills. Wu stated that Qin’s political commentary was an exercise of free speech, and forming a lawyers’ club was not illegal. He argued that Qin was wrongfully convicted and urged authorities to exonerate him and reinstate his law license.

Wu Shaoping said, “He established a lawyers’ club, and there is nothing in the law that prohibits this. Charging him with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ is only because he shared many personal opinions online, and free speech itself is a constitutional right. Everything he did would be legal in any normal country and aligns with human justice. This case is a miscarriage of justice. Lawyer Qin is disabled, and his law license was revoked, and he was wrongfully imprisoned, disrupting his life entirely. We hope authorities will allow him to resume his legal profession as a means of livelihood.”

Wu further expressed concerns over Qin’s health after his prolonged detention by authorities, and also fears that Qin and his family might face continued monitoring and oppression in the future.

Wu Shaoping stated, “After all, he was in a CCP prison for such a long time, so his physical health is the main concern. Moreover, individuals jailed for justice often move from ‘small prisons’ to ‘larger prisons.’ Once someone is on the CCP’s surveillance blacklist, they often face constant harassment and tracking. For his family, if Lawyer Qin Yongpei continues to pursue matters deemed sensitive by the CCP, his family might be used as hostages for coercion, potentially impacting their lives.”

Human Rights Abuses Against Lawyers Highlight the General Decline in Human Rights in China

Pan Jiawei, a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo who has been following the situation of Chinese human rights lawyers for years, stated that Qin Yongpei’s case is a typical example of the CCP government’s repression of outspoken human rights lawyers, reflecting the injustices within the CCP judicial system. Pan explained that when human rights lawyers themselves cannot protect their personal rights, other dissenters face even greater difficulty.

Pan Jiawei commented, “The mission of human rights lawyers is to help others, yet they themselves have become victims. They study law and know how to use it to challenge government violations. When even lawyers cannot protect their rights, we can only imagine the severe repression faced by the grassroots and petitioning citizens.”

Pan observed that recent actions, such as support for Xu Zhiyong and attention to the sentencing of Yu Wensheng and his wife, show that the international community and human rights organizations continue to monitor China’s human rights situation. However, he feels that the volume and intensity of such calls are insufficient to pressure the CCP. He hopes the United Nations and other organizations will adopt targeted measures to stop the CCP’s ongoing crackdown on human rights groups.