Zou Xingtong, the former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance, was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison for inciting subversion of state power. Liu Jiayi, a good friend of Zou Xingtong and former member of the Standing Committee of the Alliance of Stakeholders, said in an interview with the Central News Agency that Zou Xingtong has decided to appeal. She has always been determined and in good spirits, but the long years behind bars inevitably make people worry about her health. Liu mentioned that during a recent visit, Zou Xingtong told her to take good care of Zou’s mother on her behalf.
Zou Xingtong, 41, was originally a doctoral student in the Department of Geophysics at the University of Cambridge in the UK. In 2010, before completing the course, he returned to Hong Kong to join the stake association. After serving in the stake association for about half a year, she moved to work for an NGO focusing on labor rights in China. A year later, she began studying law and later qualified as a barrister.
Zou Xingtong served as vice chairman of the stake association from the end of 2015 until the stake association announced its dissolution in September 2021.
Since Zou Xingtong was arrested in September 2021 for inciting subversion of state power, he has been remanded in custody. He has also been in jail after being convicted of three other cases related to the stake association and June Fourth. He has lost his freedom for 5 years.
Liu Jiayi said that she visited Zou Xingtong the day before yesterday (9th) and told her that she would be sentenced today. "She had made all mental preparations and asked her if she was nervous. She just smiled and said she was not nervous." Liu Jiayi said frankly that despite being mentally prepared beforehand, her relatives and friends still felt very heavy when facing the final sentencing result.
Liu Jiayi said that Zou Xingtong has always been determined and in good spirits. At present, she is only worried about her health. "She has been remanded for more than a thousand days, and having to sit (in jail) for such a long time is a great test for her body." Zou lost a lot of weight after being remanded.
Liu Jiayi said that in the past, when Zou Xingtong was still on remand, there were visiting hours every day, and relatives and friends could visit in turns. But after she was sentenced, she only had two visits per month, and her family members could apply for two more visits, but approval from relevant parties was required. This means that Zou Xingtong’s chances of being visited by relatives and friends will be greatly reduced in the future. Liu said, "The only thing I can do is write more letters to her."
In the past five years, Zou Xingtong has been very busy in prison. She personally defended her four cases. There was no desk in the prison, so she sat on the ground, spread the cases and notes on the floor or on the bed, and wrote down the evidence and statements word by word with a pen. The more than 200 pages of written submissions she submitted to the court in the case of inciting subversion of state power were written by burning midnight oil, revised and revised, and written again and again before they were completed.
Liu Jiayi said that Zou Xingtong has decided to appeal and will be assigned work after he is officially imprisoned, so his life will still be very busy.
After many postponements of the case, Zou Xingtong stopped cutting her hair the year before last and now her ponytail has reached to her buttocks. Liu Jiayi said with a smile that after today's sentencing, Zou Xingtong will have her hair cut, and even Zou's mother, who has grown her hair like her daughter, will also have her hair cut.
It is estimated that after deducting the days spent on remand, Zou Xingtong is expected to be released from prison in 2030, when he will be 45 years old.
Liu Jiayi said that she hoped that after Zou Xingtong was released from prison, they would go paragliding together and then eat hot pot. "I once climbed a mountain in Longji (southeast of Hong Kong Island) and saw beautiful scenery. Hong Kong is really beautiful. I hope to go paragliding with A Tong to see how beautiful Hong Kong is!" And hot pot is one of Zou Xingtong's favorites.
According to Hong Kong online media Court Line, Zou Xingtong’s mother met reporters today after the sentencing and said that everyone should not be too sad, discouraged or guilty about today’s sentencing, and urged everyone to live a good life.
According to Hong Kong Ming Pao, Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu said today that the relevant crimes committed by the defendant in this case exceeded the scope of the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and were acts of inciting others to subvert state power by illegal means. The sentencing showed that the court determined that the crime committed by the defendant was very serious and must be severely punished to demonstrate the rule of law. This case shows that anyone who incites subversion of state power and endangers national security will eventually be punished in accordance with the law and will not be tolerated.
Chief Superintendent of the National Security Division of the Police, Li Guihua, met with reporters after the sentencing. He said that Zou Xingtong showed no remorse and that the maximum sentence he received was expected. The court has ruled that the defendants continued to be hostile to the Chinese Communist Party and the central government and resolutely resisted.
