The following post by user Silu Silu (斯律斯律), which comments on the case against “die-hard lawyer” and former CMP fellow Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强), was deleted from Weibo sometime before 1:31AM today, June 8, 2015. The post was live on Weibo for approximately one hour. [Explore more deleted posts by using the Weiboscope, created by the Journalism & Media Studies Centre.]
The post, which includes an image of Pu Zhiqiang, makes reference to the 28 social media posts that only recently, one year after his detention in May 2014, were used to formally charge Mr. Pu.
Just a few Weibo posts you made were dragged before the court. The arm of the law has twisted with the leg of politics. This garland may not be something you’ve placed willingly on your head, but history or fate have chosen you. There must be a reason. And we believe that the you that will be free once again will be an entirely new you.
The original Chinese-language post follows:
你以几十条微博，被诉到法院，法律的胳膊已经扭不住政治的大腿，不过，这桂冠虽然不是你愿意戴的，但历史或者命运选择了你，必定有理由，我们也相信，重获自由的你，一定是一个全新的你。
