Case of the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing Counter-Revolutionary Cliques

The Case of the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing Counter-Revolutionary Cliques was a criminal case in China after the end of the Cultural Revolution. The name of this case referred to two “counter-revolutionary” groups or “cliques” headed by Lin Biao and Jiang Qing, respectively, who "wanted to seize supreme power". This included core members of the Jiang Qing clique, such as Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, Wang Hongwen, and Jiang Qing herself, all of whom were collectively known as the Gang of Four, as well as members of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique, such as Qiu Huizuo and Wu Faxian. Chen Boda, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee, was also tried as a member of the Jiang Qing clique.

Background

"Lin Biao Group"

Lin Biao (deceased before trial) Ye Qun (deceased before trial) Lin Liguo (deceased before trial) Zhou Yuchi (deceased before trial) Xie Fuzhi (deceased before trial) Huang Yongsheng Wu Faxian Li Zuopeng Qiu Huizuo Jiang Tengjiao

"Jiang Qing Group"

Jiang Qing Zhang Chunqiao Yao Wenyuan Wang Hongwen Chen Boda

Other involved personnel

"Principal offender": Kang Sheng (deceased before trial) Mao Yuanxin Kuai Dafu

Trial preparation Following the third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978, Deng Xiaoping gradually became the paramount leader of China. Under his leadership, the government of China began legal trials and convictions of the two political groups headed by Jiang Qing and Lin Biao, respectively. It is noteworthy that the CCP intentionally categorized Zhang Chunqiao's political rival, Chen Boda, as part of the "Jiang Qing group" to avoid complicating the Lin Biao issue.

On 29 September 1980, the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 5th National People's Congress adopted the Decision on Establishing the Special Procuratorate of the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Special Court of the Supreme People's Court to Prosecute and Try the Principal Offenders in the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing Counter-Revolutionary Clique Case. Huang Huoqing, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, was appointed concurrently as Director of the Special Procuratorate, and Jiang Hua, President of the Supreme People's Court, was appointed concurrently as Chief Judge of the Special Court. The Special Court consisted of two trial chambers. The decision stipulated that the Special Court would conduct open trials and that its judgments would be final.

The indictment issued by the Special Procuratorate of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People's Republic of China (Special Procuratorate No. 1) contains more than 20,000 words and names 10 defendants. It was made public before the trial. On 10 November 1980, the Special Court of the Supreme People's Court reviewed the indictment and decided to accept the case.

Court proceedings From 20 November 1980 to 25 January 1981, the Special Court of the Supreme People's Court held a public hearing on this case at No. 1 Zhengyi Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing (the former site of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the former site of the Beijing Municipal Government's Reception Office). At 3:00 PM on 20 November 1980, the first hearing commenced. After Huang Huoqing, representing the prosecution, read the indictment, Judge Jiang Hua announced that the defendants in the Jiang Qing Group case—Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, Wang Hongwen, and Chen Boda—would be tried in the First Trial Court; and the defendants in the Lin Biao Group case—Huang Yongsheng, Wu Faxian, Li Zuopeng, Qiu Huizuo, and Jiang Tengjiao—would be tried in the Second Trial Court.

Verdict On the morning of 25 January 1981, the court pronounced its verdict, identifying all 10 defendants as key members of the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique, and sentencing them accordingly. In 1986, Mao Zedong's nephew, Mao Yuanxin, was tried and sentenced for participating in the Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique.

Ruling

The case of Liu Shaoqi being falsely accused, framed, and persecuted to death "The Lin Biao and Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique conspired to frame and persecute Liu Shaoqi, the Chairman of the People's Republic of China."

In August 1966, Lin Biao instructed Ye Qun to dictate the fabricated materials they had made to frame Liu Shaoqi to Lei Yingfu, the deputy director of the Operations Department of the General Staff, and instructed Lei Yingfu to write the materials to frame Liu Shaoqi.杨承祚：中国人民大学教授（原辅仁大学教授，王光美之师） In December 1966, Zhang Chunqiao summoned Kuai Dafu, a student at Tsinghua University, and instructed him to organize a march and demonstration, first inciting the public to "overthrow Liu Shaoqi". Beginning in May 1967, Jiang Qing directly controlled the "Liu Shaoqi and Wang Guangmei Special Case Group," and together with Kang Sheng and Xie Fuzhi, directed the group to coerce confessions from those arrested and detained, fabricating false evidence to frame Liu Shaoqi as a "traitor," "spy," and " counter-revolutionary." In 1967, in order to fabricate false evidence to persecute Liu Shaoqi, Jiang Qing decided to arrest and detain eleven people, including Yang Yichen, vice governor of Hebei Province (formerly an official of the Organization Department of the CCP Manchuria Provincial Committee), Yang Chengzuo, professor at Renmin University of China (formerly a professor at Fu Jen Catholic University and Wang Guangmei's teacher), Wang Guang'en, a resident of Tianjin (formerly an assistant manager at Fengtian Textile Factory), and Hao Miao, Liu Shaoqi's cook. During Yang Chengzhuo's critical illness, Jiang Qing told the special investigators, "We must conduct a surprise interrogation and get what we want before Yang dies." Jiang Qing's decision led to the persecution and death of Yang Chengzhuo.王广恩：天津市居民（原奉天纱厂协理） The special task force directed by Jiang Qing also led to the persecution and death of Wang Guang'en. Jiang Qing, in collusion with Xie Fuzhi, instructed Zhang Chongyi, who was critically ill, to be interrogated multiple times, resulting in Zhang Chongyi dying just two hours after one of the interrogations.张重一：河北北京师范学院教授（原辅仁大学教授，王光美之师） Jiang Qing, together with Kang Sheng, Xie Fuzhi and others, instructed the special investigation team to coerce confessions from Ding Juequn, who had participated in the workers' movement with Liu Shaoqi in Wuhan in 1927, and Meng Yongqian, who was arrested at the same time as Liu Shaoqi in Shenyang in 1929, fabricating false evidence and framing Liu Shaoqi as a "traitor". In July 1967, Jiang Qing, together with Kang Sheng and Chen Boda, decided to persecute Liu Shaoqi, thus depriving him of his freedom of movement.

Due to false accusations made by Jiang Qing and others, Liu Shaoqi was imprisoned and persecuted to death.刘少奇：第八届中共中央副主席、首任全国人大常委会委员长、第二任中华人民共和国主席

Penalties +The main culprits in the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique case who were prosecuted and sentencedNameAge at the time of sentencingOfficeDefenderDefense performanceChargesMain punishmentAdditional punishment: Deprivation of political rightsRelease dateTime of deathAge of death67Deputy Head of the Central Cultural Revolution Group; Member of the 9th and 10th CCP Central Committee Political BureauRefusedPleased not guilty, "fought for Mao Zedong" (self-proclaimed) and "disrupted court order" (according to the verdict).1. Crime of organizing or leading a counter-revolutionary group