Boston Music Student Jailed for Harassing Pro-Democracy Activist
A Chinese music student in Boston, Massachusetts, has been jailed for nine months for harassing a fellow student who posted pro-democracy fliers on campus.
Xiaolei Wu, 26, was arrested in December 2022 after threatening another Berklee College of Music student who had put up fliers saying “Stand With Chinese People” and “We Want Democracy”.
Wu made a series of threats to the victim via the WeChat messaging app, email, and Instagram, including to “chop your b
** hands off” if more fliers were posted. Wu also warned the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about her actions and had reported her to his mother, a Chinese government official.Wu was found guilty in January on charges of cyberstalking and threatening behavior. Prosecutors had called for a nearly three-year sentence to send a message to Beijing that the US would not tolerate attempts by the Chinese government to silence people of Chinese descent who held differing opinions.
On Wednesday, Judge Denise Casper said a custodial sentence was warranted to deter similar behavior by other Chinese nationals who travel to the US to study. She opted for a nine-month sentence because Wu’s harassment campaign, while “egregious,” lasted only two days and he had no previous convictions.
Wu, who was in the US on a student visa to study jazz, will be deported after completing his sentence. He apologized in court for his “reckless behavior,” saying he needed “to take responsibility and accept what I have done.”
“For making Zooey feel threatened, I feel very sorry,” he said.
The case has raised concerns about China’s influence operations and attempts to silence its critics, not only on university campuses but also in politics.
