Exclusive | I was jailed for refusing to plead guilty, says Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang – but he shies away from questions about torture
- Arrested in ‘709’ crackdown, Wang says he was interrogated around the clock and held in four detention centres and two other secret locations
- Authorities were determined to jail me and the courts broke their own laws, he says
In an interview with the South China Morning Post on Tuesday, Wang for the first time revealed details of his incarceration and said he realised only now that he was the only lawyer who had refused to plead guilty or strike a compromise with the authorities in the infamous “709” crackdown.
The massive purge was launched by the authorities when nearly 300 human rights lawyers and activists were rounded up, interrogated or persecuted on charges including state subversions and inciting public disturbance. It was known as the 709 crackdown because it started on July 9, 2015.
“I committed no crimes but it was very clear that they were determined to put me in jail,” Wang said. “I refused to accept that and I would not compromise on any ground.”
He added: “[The persecution of me], it is blatantly clear, is directly related [to the fact that I had refused to plead guilty].”