China has given permission for jailed Taiwanese human rights advocate Lee Ming-che’s (李明哲) family to visit him, the Mainland Affairs Council said, adding that his wife, Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜), plans to fly to China tomorrow.
China a few days ago acquiesced to its demand that Lee Ming-che be granted family visits, the council said in a statement late on Friday.
Since a Chinese court on Nov. 28 last year sentenced Lee Ming-che to five years in prison and two years’ deprivation of political rights on charges of subversion of state power, the council has been trying to persuade Beijing to let him see his family, it said.
The visit is scheduled for Tuesday, said the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, which is to send an official to accompany Lee Ching-yu.
Lee Ming-che is serving his sentence in Chishan Prison in China’s Hunan Province.
He was convicted for comments and information he circulated on social media about democracy, freedom of expression and human rights in China.
He went missing on March 19 last year after entering China from Macau.
Lee Ching-yu on April 10 last year discovered that her Taiwan Compatriot Travel Document was invalidated when she attempted to fly to Beijing to look for her husband.
China is to issue a one-time document granting Lee Ching-yu permission to enter China upon her arrival at Changsha Huanghua International Airport, the council said.
Lee Ching-yu is scheduled to depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 9:10am and is to return on Wednesday, the foundation said.
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