On 19 April 2018 Yu Wensheng was arrested on charges of ”inciting subversion of state power’’ and ”obstructing public service’’. He had been kept in incommunicado detention since his arrest on 19 January 2018. This was reported on the website of Front Line Defenders.
His wife, legal counsel and supporters repeatedly tried to visit Yu Wensheng in detention but remained unsuccessful.
On 18 April 2018, Yu Wensheng’s lawyers, Chang Boyang and Xie Yang, travelled to the detention centre in Xuzhou to visit him, but their request was denied by the authorities. Thereafter, police presented a note of 16 April 2018 stating Yu Wensheng’s intention to dismiss his lawyers and requesting his wife not to appoint any other lawyers. However, prior to his arrest Yu Wensheng wrote a letter and made a video testimony stating he would not voluntarily dismiss his legal counsel if he should be detained.
In China authorities have a history of compelling detainees and their family to dismiss independent legal counsel in order to assign government-allied lawyers instead. Lawyers for Lawyers are concerned about Yu Wensheng’s situation, and will continue to closely monitor his case.
