Chinese activists detained for publishing censored content set to face criminal trial

Two activists, who had published censored articles on coronavirus outbreak and have been detained by Chinese officials for two months, are set to face criminal trial, a family member said.

Beijing police have detained Chen Mei and Cai Wei on April 19 for publishing articles on the health crisis on GitHub, an open-source website.

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Chen Kun, Chen Mei’s elder brother, said the families of the activists received phone calls from the Chaoyang public security bureau on Friday informing them they had been formally arrested and were being kept at the Chaoyang District Detention Centre, reported South China Morning Post.

He further said his family were told that the activists were appointed two lawyers as they had voluntarily sought legal help.

However, Chen doubts these claims, adding, "It’s a clear attempt to keep the family’s hired lawyers from intervening".

"We do not accept the officially appointed lawyers and we believe that this was a last resort for Chen Mei, under pressure and threat from the police. The decision does not represent what he really thinks."

Chen also said that he had already taken services of a lawyer, Liang Xiaojun, who will represent his brother.

Liang said that the activists had been charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a vaguely described charge often used by Chinese officials as a clampdown on activists and dissidents.

Both the detainees have been publishing censored content through their crowdfunded Terminus 2049 project for nearly two years.