Taiwanese human rights advocate Lee Ming-che (李明哲) would soon be released from prison, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said yesterday.
Lee, who in November 2017 was sentenced to five years in prison for “subversion of state power,” would be released “shortly” when his sentence is completed, TAO spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) told a media briefing, adding that authorities would arrange for his return to Taiwan.
While not specifying when Lee would be released, Ma said that Lee’s health was “stable.”
Photo: CNA
Non-governmental organizations in Taiwan, including Amnesty International Taiwan, estimated that Lee would complete his jail term today, reasoning that the eight months he spent in detention before being officially sentenced should count toward his sentence.
Ma also said that Chishan Prison in Hunan Province, where Lee is being held, had suspended in-person visits by family members of prisoners since COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020.
Authorities had ensured Lee’s rights to communicate with people outside the prison according to the law, Ma said.
However, Amnesty International Taiwan — which has helped Lee’s wife, Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜), to campaign for his release — said that his family had not received any notice from Chinese authorities about his pending release.
Last month, the group said that Lee Ming-che had for the past two years been barred from speaking to his wife on the telephone or writing to his family.
During the two-year period, Lee Ching-yu applied to visit her husband at the prison 16 times, to no avail, the group said, adding that the family members of other prisoners had visiting rights.
Lee Ming-che, a staff member of Wenshan Community College in Taipei, was arrested in March 2017 while visiting China’s Guangdong Province from Macau.
He was sentenced to five years in prison and an additional two years of disenfranchisement in November 2017 for “subversion of state power.”
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS