Li Wei (李蔚)
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Li Wei 李蔚
(released)
Crime: Gathering a crowd to disrupt order of a public place
Length of Punishment: Two years
Court: Haidian District People’s Court
Trial Date: April 8, 2014
Sentencing Date: April 18, 2014
Dates of Detention/Arrest: April 10, 2013 (detained); May 17, 2013 (arrested); April 10, 2015 (released)
Place of Incarceration: Beijing No. 3 Detention Center
Indictment: Beijing Municipal Haidian District People’s Procuratorate Indictment (English and Chinese)
Verdict: Beijing Municipal Haidian District People’s Court Criminal Verdict (Chinese)
Background
Li Wei, born 1971, was detained in April 2013 after taking part in demonstrations to protest the banning of Annie Zhang (张安妮), the daughter of Anhui dissident Zhang Lin (张林), from attending school. Prior to his current detention, he was actively involved in the New Citizens’ Movement, a loose network of activists and lawyers promoting social justice and legal reforms. He participated in an anti-corruption campaign that began in late 2012 and defended the right to education in Beijing. Initially detained on charges of “illegal assembly,” his trial was delayed after he dismissed his attorney—a move intended to object to an unjust and hasty trial. Li Wei was wrongly convicted of intentional homicide in 2008 and spent four years in prison. He began to petition against the injustice he suffered while helping others in rights-defense activities, such as rescuing petitioners from illegal “black jails.” Li Wei’s first trial, held on January 27, 2014, was postponed after Li dismissed his lawyer in protest over procedural violations. Li was released at the end of his sentence in April 2015.
Further Information
Four New Citizens’ Movement Activists Sentenced in Beijing, April 18, 2014, CHRD