The US Justice Department on Wednesday said, in the United States a Chinese student has been arrested for insulting a person. In support of democracy in China, a man was spreading fliers on which a Chinese student insulted the person.
A press release was released by the Justice Department and said, “A Berklee College of Music student, who is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has been arrested and charged with stalking in connection with threatening and harassing communications he allegedly made towards an individual who posted fliers in support of democracy in China.”
Meanwhile, the arrested Chinese student has been identified as Xiaolei Wu, 25. The accused will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, later in the afternoon.
“The Department of Justice will always defend the right to engage in free speech and political expression. We allege that Wu’s threatening and harassing behavior was not free speech. Rather, it was an attempt to silence and intimidate the activist’s expressed views dissenting of the PRC,” United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said.
“We will not tolerate threats, harassment, or any other repression attempts against those peacefully promoting their ideas, doing their jobs, or expressing their opinions. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right here in the United States and we will protect and defend it at all costs,” Rollins stated.”
Moreover, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Joseph Bonavolonta said, “The FBI arrested Xiaolei Wu for repeatedly threatening and infringing on the rights of a civic activist who spoke out against the ruling Communist Party of China.”
“This case also highlight’s the FBI’s ongoing commitment to protecting the exercise of free speech for all citizens and our efforts to bring to justice anyone who tries to infringe on those rights,” Bonavolonta said.
However, for stalking someone can sentence to up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to USD 250,000.