Founded in March 1989, HRIC is dedicated to promoting international human rights and advancing the institutional protection of these rights in #China#.
On July 1 at approximately 11:00 PM, police detained independent filmmaker and political satirist Zhang Peng (张鹏)—known online as Zhang Neixian (张内咸)—on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” (寻衅滋事罪). He is being held at the Haidian District Detention Center.
The offense of “Picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” is formally intended to address public disorder. A 2013 judicial interpretation extends its application to certain online conduct, including threats, serious harassment, and fabricated information causing severe disruption.
Yet authorities have not specified which of these harms Zhang allegedly committed. This shows the charge’s political function: it's purposeful ambiguity allows criticism of the CCP to be recast as "disorder," and dissent to become a threat to social stability.