A prominent female #MeToo activist in China has been sentenced to five years in prison for “subversion of the state”.
Sophia Huang Xueqin was convicted and sentenced on Friday, nearly 10 months after her trial.
Labor activist Wang Jianbing, who was tried alongside Ms Huang, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
Huang, 36, is one of the most prominent voices in #MeToo in China, reporting on groundbreaking stories about victims of sexual abuse.
She also spoke openly about the misogyny and sexism she faced in Chinese newsrooms.
Chinese authorities have not yet made clear how the two men are accused of subverting state power. The trial was a closed-door hearing.
But their supporters say they were detained because they held regular meetings and forums for young people to discuss social issues.
In 2021, Ms. Huang was detained at Guangzhou Airport on her way to the University of Sussex to receive a British government-funded master’s scholarship.
Mr. Wang, 40, was with her at the time.
Supporters say both men endured months of solitary confinement during their pre-detention periods, which lasted nearly 1,000 days. Their trial does not begin until September 2023.
A 2022 BBC Eye investigation found both men were being held in solitary confinement, Imprisoned in a secret location known as the “Black Prison”.
In 2021, amid coronavirus lockdowns and growing public anger, Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on several activists in various fields.
“This unfair trial will not erase their hard work and dedication to labor, women’s rights and wider civil society, nor will society forget their contributions,” the Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing movement said.
“Instead, as oppression persists and injustice intensifies, more activists like them will continue to rise.”
Amnesty International on Friday called the convictions “malicious and baseless”.
“[They] This shows how fearful the Chinese government is of the wave of activists who dare to speak out to protect the rights of others.
“#MeToo activism has empowered survivors of sexual violence around the world, but in this case, Chinese authorities are trying to do the exact opposite and eliminate them.”
It is unclear whether time already served by the two men will be used to reduce their sentences.
Public reaction to Ms Huang’s trial has been mixed – with some online denouncing the case, while others critical of the feminist movement have welcomed it.
Many advocates for gender rights and social causes in China choose to remain anonymous online.
They are often accused by state media and nationalists online of being “agents of hostile Western forces”.
