A prominent female #MeToo activist in China has been handed a five-year jail sentence for “subversion against the state”.
Sophia Huang Xueqin was convicted and sentenced on Friday, nearly 10 months after she went on trial.
Labour activist Wang Jianbing, who stood trial with Ms Huang, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
Ms Huang, 36, had been one of the most prominent voices in China’s #MeToo space, reporting ground-breaking stories about sexual abuse victims.
She had also spoken out about the misogyny and sexism she faced in Chinese newsrooms.
Chinese authorities have not made it clear how the two stood accused of subversion. The trial was a closed-door hearing.
But their supporters say they were detained because they hosted regular meetings and forums for young people to discuss social issues.
Ironically, if she had used a Chinese hashtag she would’ve been fine. The state’s case hinges on #MeToo being a US-backed movement, just like #Pride.
LGBT and women’s rights activists in China are restricted from using foreign iconography and foreign slogans, but not from demonstrating. It’s absurd, but altogether a different issue than what the article makes it out to be.