Lawyer Qin Yongpei appeared weary and aged due to the mistreatment he faced in detention, making him unrecognizable even to his wife and daughter. The photo on the left shows Qin before his arrest. (Dajiyuan)
November 3, 2024 — Recently, Qin Yongpei, the director of Guangxi's Baijuming Law Firm and a rights lawyer, was released from prison. He expressed his gratitude for the support of friends on social media and reaffirmed his commitment to speaking the truth, stating, “No matter the cost, I choose to remain the person I was five years ago.”
Qin was released on October 31 and soon after posted a message on social media to thank his friends, saying, “I gained my freedom at 6 a.m. today and returned to Nanning by 8:30 a.m. I am grateful for everyone’s care and support during my five years of lost freedom. You are all brave and truly conscientious Chinese people. Thank you!”
He continued, “Having lost my freedom for five years, a friend asked me what my greatest takeaway was. I replied, ‘Freedom is a precious thing, but there are things even more important. If one loses freedom for speaking the truth, yet stops speaking the truth out of fear of losing freedom, then Qin Yongpei would not be Qin Yongpei. No matter the cost, I still choose to be the person I was five years ago.’”
Qin emphasized, “Anyone with a basic understanding of law knows that the existence of a state is meant to protect the human rights of its citizens. Human rights are the most significant political issue for any nation.”
Despite the pressures he faced in the Chinese Communist Party’s prison, Qin has not abandoned his will, courage, beliefs, or confidence. He stated, “This world is becoming increasingly small. True rule of law in China is inevitable.”
On November 2, he cited Article 35 of the Constitution on social media, which states, “Chinese citizens have freedom of speech, publication, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration,” adding that this clause imposes no restrictions.
He further remarked, “Do not deceive oneself or others, and fear no dark forces. Act with conscience, both in work and life.”
Qin expressed sadness regarding his late mother, saying, “She could not rest in peace. I know who is responsible for her death. I must answer for her. I love my family. My only regret is that I owe them far, far too much. I have no way to make up for what I owe them. I cannot even say sorry to my mother in heaven. It’s so heavy…”
Some netizens commented that this is the ideal living environment that many, including rights lawyers and the public, long for and dream of.
One netizen lamented, “In China, there are no citizens, only residents.” Another said, “The face of the Constitution has been battered by dictatorship.”
One netizen bluntly pointed out, “Chinese citizens do have these basic rights—who says they don’t? I say they do, but there’s only one citizen in China, Xi Jinping. The rest are just leeks. The Constitution doesn’t say that leeks have freedom of speech, publication, or association.”
Qin further remarked, “It’s incredibly hard to be a brave Chinese. I understand the predicament of Chinese lawyers; choosing to be an ethical lawyer means unemployment. They have families to support. Likewise, it’s the same for ethical police officers. It’s even harder for them…”
He gave an example, “Ren Zhiqiang is a truly courageous Chinese citizen. At this point, it’s unlikely that any Chinese businessman dares to speak the truth, just like those in the legal and intellectual circles. What does this mean?”
Qin Yongpei’s Biography
Qin Yongpei was born on September 12, 1969, in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A Christian, he is the founder and director of the Baijuming Law Firm in Nanning and the initiator of the “China Lawyers’ Club.”
Since founding Baijuming Law Firm (now shut down by authorities) and serving as its director, he has hosted and represented numerous rights cases. Known for his outspoken stance, he once publicly offered a reward for evidence of crimes committed by the heads of the Guangxi Department of Justice and the Public Security Department and even filed a public accusation against the Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua. This led to severe discontent and arbitrary suppression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In April 2018, Qin’s law firm was suspended for six months by the Nanning Municipal Bureau of Justice, and in May, the Bureau disbanded Baijuming Law Firm, which had been established in 2006.
On November 12, 2018, Qin filed an administrative lawsuit against the Guangxi Department of Justice and its legal representative after his lawyer’s license was forcibly revoked.
On October 31, 2019, Qin was detained by police and held at the Nanning First Detention Center. In March of the following year, authorities formally charged him with “inciting subversion of state power.” The case was returned to Nanning police for further investigation in April. The authorities also used the pandemic as a pretext to deny Qin’s lawyer access to him. In May, Qin was formally indicted on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power,” and the decision was forwarded to the Nanning Intermediate Court.
On March 31, 2023, the Nanning Intermediate Court sentenced Qin Yongpei to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power,” with an additional three-year deprivation of political rights.
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