Sentenced to Nine Months, Released After Three Months: Chinese Student Wu Xiaolei, Convicted for Threatening Pro-Democracy Activists in the U.S., Granted Sentence Reduction and Returns to China

Previously sentenced to nine months in prison for harassing pro-democracy activists, Chinese student Wu Xiaolei was granted a reduced sentence and released on September 16, returning to China. (Dajiyuan image)

[People News] A document from the U.S. Federal District Court, reviewed by Voice of America (VOA), confirms that Wu Xiaolei, a Chinese student sentenced to nine months in prison for harassing pro-democracy activists, was released on September 16 with a reduced sentence and returned to China.

According to VOA, this release is reportedly part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and China in September. On September 15, the U.S. State Department announced that David Lin, an American pastor imprisoned in China for 18 years, had been freed.

Documents from the U.S. Department of Justice confirm that President Joe Biden signed a pardon order on September 12, reducing Wu Xiaolei’s sentence to time served. The order stated that releasing Wu before completing his full sentence aligned with U.S. "national interests."

The pardon document revealed that Wu had been in custody since June 7. Conditions for his reduced sentence included his permanent departure from U.S. territory and a prohibition against committing crimes against the U.S. or violating U.S. laws.

In January, a federal jury found Wu guilty of stalking and threatening a pro-democracy activist known by the pseudonym "Zooey." On April 24, Wu was sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors alleged that the 26-year-old former Berklee College of Music student had threatened to cut off Zooey's hands, reported her family to Chinese public security, encouraged others to track her residence, and publicly shared her email address.

Zooey's friends, speaking to VOA on October 30, said Zooey learned in September from prosecutors about Wu’s release, which was reportedly part of a reciprocal agreement involving the release of David Lin. They described Zooey as shocked, confused, and concerned for her safety.

One friend, William (pseudonym), shared that he recently received threatening messages from Wu on Instagram. Wu reportedly wrote:"Do you really think I can’t find you just because you wear a mask and disguise your voice on Voice of America?”

Another friend, Alex (pseudonym), noted that Wu recently posted a video on his WeChat account, showing himself playing guitar with the location tagged in Beijing.

Zhou Fengsuo, a former leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and co-founder of Humanitarian China, told VOA that while Wu’s release was disappointing, the case served as a deterrent: "This case has become a significant precedent. Since then, we’ve seen a noticeable decline in aggressive behavior by ‘Little Pinks’ [pro-CCP supporters] on U.S. campuses. I’ve held events at many U.S. universities this year and haven’t encountered a single ‘Little Pink.’ I believe this case played a role in that."

Zhou also speculated that Wu's release as part of a swap for David Lin might indicate Wu had notable connections in China. He emphasized: "Pastor Lin was held for a very long time in China. Securing his release was invaluable. In that sense, this swap had its merits."

VOA has not independently verified whether Wu’s early release was directly tied to David Lin’s freedom.

Efforts to contact the U.S. State Department and the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office responsible for Wu’s case have not yet received responses. The White House National Security Council declined to comment.