On August 26, 2020, more than two months before his arrest, Sun Dawu visited Jiang Ping, a famous Chinese jurist and former president of China University of Political Science and Law.
Sun Dawu and his family have been in police custody for six months, and on Monday (17), the court held a pre-court meeting by force. Sources said that the prosecutors recommended a heavy sentence of 25 years in prison for Sun Dawu; his family was also sentenced to more than 10 years or even 20 years in prison. Lawyers analyze that Beijing’s top brass intervened in the crackdown on Sun Dawu, and that Dawu Group employees are still not taking a stand on the rumors about the sentence due to official pressure.
Sun’s legal team released a news release saying that the court in Gaobeidian, Hebei province, ignored the lawyers’ request for an extension and forced a pre-trial conference on Monday in the case of Sun Dawu, the founder of Dawu Group, which is expected to last five days.
According to information obtained by the lawyers from the prosecution, the officials are prepared to impose a heavy sentence on Sun Dawu and his immediate family members in the form of a full family strain. Among them, Sun Dawu, who is already 67 years old, may be recommended by the prosecution to be sentenced to 25 years, while his eldest son, Sun Meng, chairman of Dawu Group, is recommended to plead guilty to be sentenced to 16 years and plead not guilty to be sentenced to 20 years. Sun’s second brother, Sun Zhihua, was recommended to plead guilty to 11 years and plead not guilty to 14 years.
A member of Sun Dawu’s legal team, who requested anonymity, told reporters that Sun Dawu has so far maintained his innocence. The lawyer team is trying to communicate with Hebei in the hope of reducing the sentence, but there is no effective communication platform and channel. He also criticized the official forced to advance the case.
He said: This pre-trial conference has been held, the plan is five days, involving each defendant. Sun Dawu’s family (the prosecution suggested) heavier sentences, Sun Dawu’s son was sentenced to 16 years, the second brother also more than 10 years, both sentenced to heavier sentences. I’m not sure about his second son. Now the judiciary and local government, anxious to advance the speed of this case.
Dawu Group legal adviser Zheng Chengyue told the station that the authorities are trying to get Sun Dawu to confess guilt by holding his family hostage and reducing his sentence.
Zheng Cheng Yue said: there is this argument, it is now pleading guilty to the law less sentence, do not plead guilty to the law will be heavily sentenced, so. Anyway, people (the official) is to quickly open the court, what program does not say ah. The specific time has not been set. The two sons, two daughters-in-law, two brothers, are all being held inside.
Another member of the legal team, Mr. Chen, pointed out that the crackdown against Sun Dawu came from the top of Hebei, and even directly used the power of a very high level in Beijing. This also means that Sun Dawu and his family will face an even harsher end.
Mr. Chen said: from these signs so far, the official is also very determined. This case is in the investigation stage, Hebei Province, the three levels of the public prosecutor’s office early intervention, this is certain. However, whether it is said to be the Beijing side, we are not sure. But at least the strength of its deletion of posts, and the strength of this gag, is certainly used to these forces in Beijing.
Our reporter has called several employees of Dawu Group, but they are under pressure not to speak out. For the past few months, they have remained silent but insisted on forwarding statements about the progress of the Dawu case and the lawyers.
Gaobeidian Court, Hebei Provincial High Court, have not accepted our interview.
Sun Dawu is the founder of the Hebei Dawu Group, which twice clashed with state-run farms occupying local villagers’ land in June and August of last year, and was suppressed by police. In November of the same year, a large number of police forces surrounded the Dawu Group and arrested Sun’s entire family and dozens of the group’s employees.
In February 2019, Sun Dawu took the lead in exposing the Hebei authorities’ concealment of the African swine fever epidemic by revealing the death of tens of thousands of pigs on his pig farm and demanding government confirmation. Sun Dawu has gained attention for his courageous criticism of power and is known as the “conscience of entrepreneurs” in China. He was imprisoned for his comments in his early years.
Recent Comments