Court Notifies Extension by Three Months in Case of Hunan Zhuzhou Self-Media Writer Yin Jiangen, Arrested Across Provinces for His Speech

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On April 6, 2026, this outlet learned that Yin Jiangen (Bigen), a Hunan Zhuzhou self-media writer persecuted for his speech, was arrested across provincial borders by the Hexian County police and has remained detained at the Hexian County Detention Center to this day. His case went to trial in February this year, but no verdict was delivered in court. Recently, Yin Jiangen’s defense lawyer received notice that the trial period had been extended by three months.

The charges in Yin Jiangen’s case of being persecuted for his speech all concern more than 450 articles that Yin Jiangen published on WeChat public accounts under the names “Sunlight Under the Pen” and “That Beam of Light in Spring,” containing criticism and oversight of certain village and community secretaries, subdistrict offices, government departments, public security organs, courts and others.”

Yin Jiangen’s biography: Born in 1965, a native of Hunan Province, he lives in the Guihua residential compound in Hetang Town, Zhuzhou City. He is a self-media writer, and the name of his Weibo public-account blog is “Sunlight Under the Pen.” He is a reporter for Rule of Law Online, a rights-defending citizen, and a political prisoner detained in China.

As he is upright by nature and has long devoted himself to issues concerning ordinary people’s livelihoods, with the emergence and development of Generation Z (also known as the “net generation” and the “Internet generation”), he began creating self-media platforms to expose current abuses and frequently wrote articles speaking out on behalf of many disadvantaged rights-defending groups in need of help;

On August 11, 2025, he published on a self-media platform an article entitled “Anhui’s Hexian County Again Sees a ‘Wang Li Secretary Version’ of Shandong’s Pingdu; Secretary Liu Ying Is ‘One Better’ by Comparison.” The article contained critical comments about Liu Ying, secretary of the Party committee of Liyang Town, Hexian County, Anhui Province. As a result, police from Hexian County, Ma’anshan City, Anhui Province, crossed provincial borders and came to the residential compound where he lived in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, and forcibly demanded that he delete the post; he refused. He was subsequently taken away by the Hexian police and contact with him was lost. After his family and friends (including concerned internet users) made inquiries through various channels, they finally learned 20 days later that he had been criminally detained by the Hexian police of Ma’anshan City on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and was being held at the Hexian County Detention Center;

It is said that his arrest was related to his repeated online reports, under the pen name “Sunlight Under the Pen,” about the “rights defense over the Second Brick Kiln Factory’s unpaid brick debt” case involving petitioner Chen Dezhen of Hexian County, Anhui Province, and to his speaking out to clear Chen’s name and defend his rights. Chen had originally been a law-abiding farmer in Hexian County, Anhui. Merely because a debt dispute arose in 1995 over 90,000 red bricks with the local Second Brick Kiln Factory, the local Liyang Town government illegally transferred the creditor’s rights to a rubber company, forcing Chen to defend his rights for a prolonged period. In 2021, Chen finally reached an agreement with the local town government on compensation for the cost of the bricks, but afterward the town government again broke its promise and refused to pay. Chen therefore went to Beijing to petition and was sentenced to one year. After his release, Chen posted on Weibo that local government official Liu Ying had made a false police report, and was again administratively detained by the police for 18 days. Deeply saddened and angered by Chen’s experience and the injustice, he wrote articles to help Chen and call for support, but unexpectedly this brought pressure and warnings from the authorities in Chen Dezhen’s home jurisdiction of Hexian County, Anhui Province;

On September 3, 2025, the defense lawyer met with him at the Hexian County Detention Center. After obtaining his consent, the lawyer submitted to the police and the local procuratorate applications for release on bail pending trial, for designated jurisdiction, and for supervision of the decision not to approve his arrest, but all were rejected. On September 15, 2025, he was formally arrested by the Hexian County Procuratorate of Anhui Province on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” During his detention, the lawyer went to the Hexian County Procuratorate to review the case files and then met with him. He said that he had been subjected to prolonged interrogation by the case-handling personnel and had been required to confess his guilt. In mid-December 2025, the case was transferred to the Hexian County Procuratorate for review and prosecution. After learning of the above circumstances, dozens of internet users launched a joint petition and wrote to the Hexian County People’s Procuratorate, requesting that it conduct a strict, lawful, independent, objective and impartial review and make a decision not to prosecute him in accordance with the law. He is currently detained at the Hexian County Detention Center in Anhui Province.

This outlet will continue to follow developments in Yin Jiangen’s case.