On September 16, the well-known human rights activist in Hunan, Ou Biaofeng, was released from prison by the authorities. He had previously been subjected to suppression by the authorities for openly supporting Xu Zhiyong, Jimmy Lai, and “Ink-Splashing Girl” Dong Yaoqiong.
According to reports from human rights websites, it was learned on September 16, 2024, that Ou Biaofeng, a prominent human rights defender in Hunan who was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months, has completed his sentence and is about to be released from prison.
Moreover, the international non-governmental organization “Human Rights in China” (HRIC) also reported the related news on social media platforms.
Ou Biaofeng, a Hunanese citizen, had been warned and threatened by the Hunan police multiple times for publicly supporting Xu Zhiyong, Chang Weiping, Jimmy Lai, and Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily.” In 2020, he was taken away from his home by the police for assisting “Ink-Splashing Girl” Dong Yaoqiong, who posted a plea for help on Twitter, and was subsequently placed under designated residential surveillance for allegedly “subverting state power.” In 2021, he was arrested on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.”
In December 2022, he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and deprived of political rights for 3 years, with the sentence lasting until September 16, 2024.
Another dissenting figure from Zhuzhou, Chen Siming, previously told a reporter that “the specific reason Ou Biaofeng was arrested was related to Ink-Splashing Girl Dong Yaoqiong. He revealed Dong’s information to the outside world, which led to the state security cracking down on him. State security would often warn him, saying he had been quite active and they had compiled thick materials, fully capable of sentencing him to five years, and that action would be taken against him.”
Chen Siming believed that Dong Yaoqiong’s case was particularly sensitive and became a catalyst that triggered a one-time retaliation and settlement against Ou Biaofeng.
According to sources, “Ink-Splashing Girl” Dong Yaoqiong has been detained in a psychiatric hospital three times and there has been no news of her whereabouts to date.