On January 28, 2014, the state-sponsored Global Times published an article in English entitled “Xu Zhiyong Trial Prompts Debate.” Some excerpts:
The opinion was entitled “Why We Believe He Is Innocent: A Legal Opinion on Xu Zhiyong Conviction for Gathering Crowds to Create a Disturbance at a Public Venue” (为什么我们认为他无罪：对许志永聚众扰乱公共场所罪一审判决的法律意见).
This screenshot was taken on January 29, and shows that Sina Weibo was censoring searches for “Why We Believe He Is Innocent.”(为什么我们认为他无罪)
See also:
"Despite knowing that organizing people to gather in public places for certain appeals and holding banners would draw onlookers, which could easily disrupt social order and cause participants to resist law enforcement, Xu kept doing so and did not take effective measures to prevent such consequences," the court stated when giving grounds for the conviction in the indictment.The opinion mentioned by the Global Times was penned by Peng Bing (彭冰) and Gan Peizhong (甘培忠) of Peking University Law School), Yao Huanqing (姚欢庆) of Beijing People's University School of Law, Wang Yong (王涌) of China University of Politics and Law, and He Haibo (何海波) of Tsinghua University Law School.
However, in a document posted online late Sunday evening, five law professors called for a review into the legal basis for Xu's charges.
. . . .
Peng Bing, a professor with Peking University and one of the five scholars, confirmed to the Global Times his views on the opinion piece. "It was a mere academic discussion on the legality of the verdict. We did not call for anything," Peng said.
The opinion was entitled “Why We Believe He Is Innocent: A Legal Opinion on Xu Zhiyong Conviction for Gathering Crowds to Create a Disturbance at a Public Venue” (为什么我们认为他无罪：对许志永聚众扰乱公共场所罪一审判决的法律意见).
This screenshot was taken on January 29, and shows that Sina Weibo was censoring searches for “Why We Believe He Is Innocent.”(为什么我们认为他无罪)
See also:
- Global Times Says Ok to Advocate New Citizens' Movement, Constitutionalism, While Baidu Bans Forums on Those Topics: http://blog.feichangdao.com/2014/01/global-times-says-ok-to-advocate-new.html
- Baidu Censors Results for Xu Zhiyong's Closing Statement to the Court: http://blog.feichangdao.com/2014/01/baidu-censors-results-for-xu-zhiyongs.html
- Wife's Letter to Xu Zhiyong Disappears From Sina Weibo: http://blog.feichangdao.com/2014/01/wifes-letter-to-xu-zhiyong-disappears.html
