Chinese music student, Xiaolei Wu, has been convicted in the United States for harassing an activist at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The conviction, passed on Thursday, followed a four-day jury trial during which Wu was found guilty of one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication.
The charges against Wu stem from an incident on October 22, 2022, when the target of his harassment posted fliers with messages advocating for freedom, rights, and Chinese democracy. The activist who posted these messages, who remains anonymous, received communications from Wu between October 22 and October 24, 2022. These were not only threatening the victim directly with physical violence but also hinted at potential harm to the victim’s family. Wu informed the victim that he reported their activities to the public security agency in China, insinuating that their family in China could face repercussions from the state authorities. Wu also revealed the victim’s personal information online with the intent to incite further harassment.
On December 13, 2022, Wu was initially arrested and charged with one count of stalking. A federal grand jury indicted Wu on the revised charges on January 10, 2023.
In remarks following the conviction, Acting US Attorney Levy stated:
No one in this country should ever be subjected to threats of violence or a cyberstalking harassment campaign for expressing their political views. Mr. Wu now stands as a convicted felon for his illegal efforts to suppress free speech by a fellow Berklee School of Music student who was critical of the government of China. Such conduct will never be tolerated, and the Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding the fundamental right to free speech for all. Anyone who threatens or violates this principle of our democratic society will be held accountable.
The sentencing for Wu is set for April 24, 2024, by US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper.
For more details on the case, please see the full report here.