Media Work / Press Releases and Statements / Case Update: Reform Advocates Jin Haike and Xu Wei Released after 10-Year Imprisonment
Case Update: Reform Advocates Jin Haike and Xu Wei Released after 10-Year Imprisonment
March 14, 2011
Jin Haike (靳海科) and Xu Wei (徐伟) were released from prison on Saturday, March 12, after serving ten years each on the charge of “subversion of state power.” Both published essays on peaceful political reform and helped organize an informal study and discussion group, the “New Youth Society,” on expanding village elections and other democratic reforms. Jin, now 34, was released from the Beijing No. 2 Prison, and Xu, now 37, from Yanqing Prison. Both are subject to two years of deprivation of political rights after their release.
In May 2000, Jin, a geological survey technician and freelance writer, and Xu, who worked as a reporter and editor for the Consumer Daily newspaper, together with three other people formed the New Youth Society. In August 2000, several others joined the group, including one man, Li Yuzhou (李宇宙), who was actually a spy for the . On March 13, 2001, state security officers seized all of the members of the New Youth Society save Li.
In September 2001, Jin and Xu, along with two other group members, Yang Zili (杨子立), a computer engineer, and Zhang Honghai (张宏海), a freelance writer, were tried for “subversion of state power.” The authorities argued that their essays and the society constituted a blueprint to overthrow the Communist Party.
During the trial, Yang defended the group’s actions and said in his defense statement: “The task of liberalizing society in no way implies an intention to subvert state power. When we speak of freedom and liberalization, we believe such changes come about through a process of reform. Can’t the last 20 years of reform and opening up be considered a way of liberalizing China through a reform policy?”
All four were found guilty. They came to be known as the “Four Gentlemen of the New Youth Society.” Yang and Zhang received slightly shorter sentences of eight years each and were released in March 2009.
In 2003, Xu went on a hunger strike to protest his poor treatment in custody. He was later transferred to Yanqing Prison, which houses mentally ill inmates, because the authorities claimed that he had psychological problems.
In 2006, Li, the spy, said in a statement in support of a petition to reopen the case that the primary evidence that the prosecution presented was the work reports he submitted to the State Security Bureau. But the work reports, the statement said, “were simply not sufficient to prove that the men attempted to subvert state power, and that the New Youth Society’s activities were completely legal.” Li also wrote that the punishment they received was “excessive” and an “injustice.” Li begged the court to grant early release to the four innocent men.
Jin, whose appendectomy operation was mishandled in prison in 2007, returned to his family’s home in Henan Province to recuperate. Xu expects to return to his hometown in Shandong Province.
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媒体工作 / 新闻发布和声明 / 呼吁政治改革的靳海科、徐伟服刑10年后出狱
呼吁政治改革的靳海科、徐伟服刑10年后出狱
2011年03月14日
3月12日，因“颠覆国家政权罪”服刑10年的靳海科和徐伟刑满出狱。他们因为发表呼吁政治改革的文章，并组建“新青年学会”而被当局定罪。靳海科，现年34岁，徐伟，现年37岁，他们两人分别从北京市第二监狱和延庆监狱获释，获释后仍被剥夺政治权利两年。
2000年5月，时任地质勘查技术人员和自由撰稿人的靳海科和《消费日报》记者和编辑的徐伟，联同其他三位刚从大学毕业的学生组建了“新青年学会”，以研究和探讨在中国进行包括扩大村民选举在内的政治改革。 2000年8月，另外三个人加入学会，其中包括为北京市国家安全局工作的线人李宇宙。2001年 3月13日，除李宇宙外，学会所有成员被当局抓捕。
2001年9月，靳海科和徐伟以及学会另外两名成员——电脑工程师杨子立和自由撰稿人张宏海，被当局以“颠覆国家政权罪”审判。当局认定他们的文章和组织企图颠覆推翻共产党。在审讯期间，杨子立在自辩中为学会辩护说：“自由化并不意味着要颠覆国家政权，我讲的自由化，是通过改革，逐步扩大社会的自由度，这二十年来的改革开放，不就是自由化的过程吗？”
法庭认定学会四名成员有罪，其中杨子立和张宏海两人被判刑稍轻：分别为8年。靳海科等4人被称为“新青年学会四君子”。
2006年，北京国家安全局线人李宇宙在为帮助该案申诉时曾表示，四人被定罪的主要证据是他写给国安局的4份工作说明，但这几份工作说明“根本不足以证明他们试图要颠覆国家政权，『新青年学会』的活动完全没有违法”，“他们所受到的惩戒是太过分了，是不公正的”。李宇宙恳求法院尽早释放这四个无辜坐牢的青年。
2003年，徐伟为抗议在羁押中受到的虐待和毒打，曾绝食数日。2008年，据报导，因被鑑定为精神病，徐伟被转送到专门监禁老弱病残犯人的延庆监狱。
2007年，靳海科在监狱做了阑尾切除手术，但手术不成功，留下后遗症，现已回到老家河南休养。徐伟将回到老家山东。
