Xiaolei Wu, a music student in Boston, is jailed after being found guilty of harassing a pro-democracy activist.
A Chinese music student has been sentenced to nine months in prison in the US after she threatened to cut off the hands of a fellow student at a prestigious music institute in Boston after posting pro-democracy leaflets on campus.
Xiaolei Wu, 26, was arrested in December 2022 after threatening another Berklee College of Music student who was hanging fliers that read “Stand with the Chinese people” and “We want democracy.”
Wu repeatedly threatened the victim on the messaging app WeChat, via email and on Instagram, including that he would “cut off his hands” if more leaflets were posted.
Wu also warned the victim, identified only as Zooey in court, that he had informed the public security agency in China of her actions. He made good on his threat and reported her to his mother, a Chinese government official. He also published her email address publicly.
He was found guilty in January of cyberstalking and threatening behavior.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of nearly three years in prison to signal to Beijing that the U.S. would not tolerate attempts by the Chinese government to silence people of Chinese descent who held views different from Beijing.
On Wednesday, Judge Denise Casper said a prison sentence was warranted to deter other Chinese nationals traveling to the U.S. to study from similar behavior and to ensure they know that “no one should engage in criminal behavior, especially conduct.” to suppress free expression.”
She chose a nine-month prison sentence because Wu’s campaign of harassment, although “outrageous,” lasted only two days and he had no criminal record.
Wu, who was in the United States on a student visa to study jazz, will be deported after serving his sentence.
He apologized in court for his “reckless behavior” and said he had to “take responsibility and accept what I did.”
“I’m very sorry for making Zooey feel threatened,” he said.
Across North America and Europe, concerns are growing about China’s influence and attempts to silence its critics, not just on college campuses, where there are concerns about the impact on academic freedom, but also in politics.
People of Chinese descent who do not have Chinese citizenship also expressed outrage at Beijing’s attempts to get them to “tell China’s story.”