Recently disclosed by mainland China’s criminal law expert lawyer Cai Yaqi, the client he represents is an official familiar with the rules of the Chinese Communist Party’s officialdom. This official has been detained by the authorities for committing a crime. Despite claiming innocence in the case, the official suddenly decided to give up on hiring a lawyer, with the family members revealing the truth to the legal representative.
In a video posted on his Douyin account, Cai Yaqi mentioned that he received a message from the client’s family, stating that their father is currently imprisoned and the case has reached the court. The father advised his family not to seek legal representation for his defense.
The lawyer, Cai Yaqi, elaborated on three reasons disclosed by the client’s family. Firstly, the official has explicitly stated his abandonment of seeking justice and referred to the case as a wrongful one. Being well-versed in the workings of the system, the official decided against engaging a lawyer for his defense, unwilling to spend more money in the process.
Secondly, law enforcement agencies have repeatedly emphasized that the client’s family is not allowed to hire lawyers from Beijing.
Lastly, the client’s family expressed deep disappointment and sorrow regarding the situation. They had previously discussed with the legal representative that even if the father relinquished his defense, as his son, they should still strive for his rights, as the charges against him seemed highly questionable.
The revealed video mentioned that the client’s family had already made payments, the legal representative had begun reviewing the case files, preparing the defense arguments. However, today, the client’s family informed them of the abandonment of seeking legal defense.
Cai Yaqi pointed out that the client, an official, faced multiple fabricated charges by the authorities. Through the case files, it was discovered that only one charge was somewhat plausible, while the rest seemed baseless.
He believed that the authorities piled up multiple charges on the client, attempting to negotiate and pressure him and his family into compliance.
This video from Cai Yaqi sparked discussions online. Commentators expressed that even officials within the system could not escape scrutiny, highlighting a more severe situation for individuals and private enterprises facing asset seizures. The comment further stated that once integrated into the system, individuals are subject to its control, becoming a common occurrence for individuals to be abandoned by the system.
In one of the videos released on December 28, 2024, Cai Yaqi addressed the question of why corruption and bribery could not be completely eradicated. He attributed it to corrupt foundations, institutional mechanisms, the inherent inertia of the bureaucratic system, and the fundamentally flawed system design, allowing individuals to freely exhibit and unleash their negative characteristics within that environment. He argued that solely relying on self-improvement and enhancing one’s party nature would not eliminate corruption.
According to the Beijing Batong Law Firm website, Cai Yaqi is a senior lawyer at the firm with extensive practical experience in litigation, intellectual property, and corporate law.
Cai Yaqi is known for frequently conducting legal education live broadcasts on Douyin, a short video platform in China. However, he has faced temporary bans imposed by the authorities as a result. On his Douyin account, Cai Yaqi has amassed a following of 363,000 fans.