Verdict in Lee Ming-che case expected by November 7
Taiwan News
Date: 2017/11/01
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che (李明哲) could
Lee Ming-che and his wife at his trial (image from Weibo).
be sentenced to 10 years in prison on November 7, unconfirmed reports said Wednesday.
Lee, a former employee of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), disappeared on March 19 after crossing the border from Macau into China. It took weeks until Beijing confirmed rumors that he had been detained, adding later he was being investigated for subversive activities.
At a trial in Hunan Province in September, he pleaded guilty to charges brought in early August, acknowledging he had promoted Western-style democracy in online forums.
Activists working on Lee’s behalf in Taiwan said that according to Chinese judicial procedures, the publication of a verdict should come within three months after the indictments, which meant the ruling could be expected within a week, even though during his case, the Chinese authorities failed to respect other stipulations, such as the requirement that relatives are allowed to visit defendants. [FULL STORY]
