Second-instance trial upholds original sentence in case of Hunan Zhuzhou self-media writer Yin Jiangen, sentenced to 2 years and 3 months

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On September 18, 2026, this outlet learned that Hunan Zhuzhou self-media writer Yin Jiangen was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months by the Hexian County Court of Anhui Province at first instance on August 6, 2026, for the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, in what is believed to be punishment for his speech. Dissatisfied with the first-instance judgment, Yin Jiangen filed an appeal in accordance with the law. The second-instance trial was publicly heard at 9 a.m. on September 10 in the Second Courtroom of the Hexian County Court. The presiding judge announced that the second-instance judgment would be delivered at a later date on the grounds that the case was “major and complex.” It has now been learned that the second-instance trial in Yin Jiangen’s case upheld the original judgment

On August 11, 2025, Yin Jiangen was arrested across provincial borders by Hexian police from Zhuzhou, Hunan, for publishing an article criticizing the Party secretary of Liyang Town, Hexian County, Anhui Province; in February 2026, his first-instance trial was held, but no verdict was announced in court. On August 6, Yin Jiangen was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months.

Biography of Yin Jiangen: Born in 1965, he is from Hunan Province and lives in Guihua Community, Hetang Town, Zhuzhou City. He is a self-media writer, the blogger behind the Weibo public account “Sunlight Beneath the Pen,” an online legal affairs reporter, a rights-defending citizen, and a political prisoner detained in China.

Because he is upright and has long been dedicated to focusing on issues concerning ordinary people’s livelihoods, with the emergence and development of Generation Z (also known as the “internet-native generation” and the “Internet generation”), he began creating self-media platforms to expose current abuses and frequently wrote articles speaking out for many vulnerable rights-defending groups in need of help;

On August 11, 2025, he published on a self-media platform an article titled “Anhui Hexian Again Sees Shandong Pingdu’s ‘Secretary Wang Li Version’; Compared with Her, Secretary Liu Ying Is ‘Even Better,’” which contained critical remarks about Liu Ying, Party secretary of Liyang Town, Hexian County, Anhui Province. As a result, police from Hexian County, Ma’anshan City, Anhui Province, traveled across provincial borders to his residential community in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, and forcibly demanded that he delete the post; he refused, after which Hexian police took him away and he lost contact with the outside world. His family and friends (including concerned internet users) made inquiries through various channels and finally learned 20 days later that he had been criminally detained by the Ma’anshan City Hexian police on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and was being held at the Hexian Detention Center;

It is said that his arrest was related to his repeatedly publishing articles online under the pen name “Sunlight Beneath the Pen” reporting on the “Second Brick Kiln Factory unpaid brick debt rights-defense” incident involving petitioner Chen Dezhen from Hexian County, Anhui, and speaking out to seek redress and defend Chen’s rights. Chen was originally a law-abiding farmer from Hexian County, Anhui. Merely because he had a debt dispute involving 90,000 red bricks with the local Second Brick Kiln Factory in 1995, the local Liyang Town government illegally transferred the creditor’s rights to a rubber company, forcing Chen to pursue his rights for a long period. In 2021, Chen finally reached a brick-payment compensation agreement with the local town government, but the town government subsequently reneged and failed to pay. Chen then traveled to Beijing to petition and was sentenced to one year. After his release, Chen posted on Weibo alleging that local government official Liu Ying had made a false police report and was again administratively detained by police for 18 days. Deeply saddened and aggrieved by Chen’s experience, he wrote articles to help him and call for public support, but unexpectedly this resulted in pressure and warnings from the authorities in Hexian County, Anhui Province, where Chen Dezhen lives;

On September 3, 2025, his defense lawyer met with him at the Hexian Detention Center and, with his consent, submitted to the police and the local procuratorate applications for release on bail pending trial, for designation of jurisdiction, and for supervision of the decision not to approve his arrest; 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, after reviewing the case files at the Hexian County Procuratorate, his lawyer met with him. He said that he had been subjected to fatigue interrogation by the case-handling personnel, who also demanded that he 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, dozens of internet users launched a joint-signature campaign and sent a letter to the Hexian County People’s Procuratorate, requesting that it conduct a strict, independent, objective, and impartial review in accordance with the law and make a decision not to prosecute him in accordance with the law. Hunan Zhuzhou self-media writer Yin Jiangen was sentenced by the Hexian County Court of Anhui Province to 2 years and 3 months on August 6, 2026. He is currently detained at the Hexian Detention Center in Anhui Province. His sentence runs until: November 10, 2027. Dissatisfied with the first-instance judgment, he appealed, and the second-instance trial upheld the original judgment.