Meeting Chen Qitang on Final Date of Appeal Period

Activist Chen Qitang (also known as Tian Li), from Foshan, Guangdong Province, was convicted of “subversion of state power” on March 31, 2017 and sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. On the final date of the appeal period (April 10, 2017), his lawyer, Li Fangping, met him at the Nanhai Detention Center in Foshan. Chen Qitang was optimistic. He said he had already indicated in court that he would appeal and had written the following in his record of the sentencing: “Pages of outrageous lies—it’s a frame-up. I do not accept, and I will appeal!!” He has written a three-page application to appeal against violations of legal procedures and the suppression of freedom of speech by public security, the procuratorate, and the court. He thinks that his arrest and harsh sentence come as a result of his participation in rights defense activities over the last ten years, and are the result, more recently, of his publication of articles supporting the Hong Kong Occupy Movement and his active involvement in supporting Su Changlan.

上诉截止日会见陈启棠

李方平律师

2017年4月10日

今天苏昌兰丈夫阿德开车送我去佛山南海看守所会见陈启棠（天理）。陈启棠、苏昌兰两人都是2017年3月31日宣判，分别以煽颠罪判刑四年半和三年。当天前往旁听的阿德、苏尚伟（阿兰哥哥）、阿德年近八旬的老母亲三人被强制失踪七日，据阿德讲被控制后收掉手机关在南海少年军校，因三个人都是重病号，经要求又被送往医院三班倒看管，每餐定饭15盒，由此推算固定看守人员达到12人。

9:30，管教把天理带出，继续在旁监控。可能是已经宣判的原因，监控距离在是两米开外，这比以往紧挨着侧耳旁听已有所不同。天理还是带着习惯性的灿烂笑容，根本不像一个年近花甲的老人，也完全没有几篇文章重判四年半的气愤和沮丧。他说虽是意料之中，但当庭表示上诉，在宣判笔录上提笔写道：“满纸荒唐言，一件诬陷案。不服，上诉！！！”他自己写了三页纸的上诉状转交管教，对公检法违反法定程序以及打压言论自由提出上诉。他分析了一番自己被抓、重判的原因。远因是十几年来参与佛山、广东地区、合肥小安妮等维权事件的积累；近因是香港占中时发了《敢怒、敢言、敢上街》等三篇声援文章和一些图片，以及积极营救苏昌兰。我告诉他，二审改判的几率微乎其微，包括案卷移送时间在内正常应该四个月左右审结，然后送监狱服刑。天理说上次他们构陷我所谓诈骗8000元被判了两年半，还有一年三个月余刑，就是不送我去监狱，这次能不能进监狱都难讲。

临近告别时，天理要我转告家人，不要因为自己的事，影响孩子的终身大事。自己还要呆两年，孩子只要感情稳定，先结婚，不要等他出来，将来生孩子一起欢庆。说完，天理露出顽皮幸福的笑容。