How China’s Operation Fox Hunt is Targeting Dissidents and Their Families in Foreign Countries
Several Chinese nationals and a retired NYPD sergeant were charged with intimidating a Chinese dissident and his family in the United States. The attempted harassment was believed to be coordinated by the Chinese government’s “Operation Fox Hunt” campaign.
The campaign aims to forcibly repatriate Chinese citizens from foreign countries. This first federal trial concerning China’s campaign could set an important precedent for the Department of Justice in bringing similar cases to court.
The Retired NYPD Sergeant and the Two Chinese Nationals Charged with Intimidation
Michael McMahon, a former NYPD sergeant, Zhu Yong of Queens, and Zheng Congying of Brooklyn were charged with finding the alleged victim, a Chinese dissident living in New Jersey, and attempting to intimidate him to return to China.
Zheng allegedly left a handwritten note on the victim’s door in September 2018, which read, “If you are willing to return to your homeland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be safe.” Prosecutors added that Zheng’s fingerprints had been found on the flyer.
The Chinese Government’s Involvement in Operation Fox Hunt
The Chinese government enlisted McMahon’s help in finding the alleged victim’s address and location. Prosecutors explained that the retired NYPD sergeant was following the dissident at his home after a meeting with his elderly father, who had been flown in from China as part of an alleged attempt to lure him to a specific location from which he could be tracked.
Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General, said that China has a record of targeting political dissidents and government critics who have sought refuge in other countries. FBI Director Christopher Wray defined “Operation Fox Hunt” as part of the Chinese government’s diverse campaign of theft and malign influence.
Possible Outcomes of the Trial
The defendants face up to 10 years in prison for each of the four counts faced if found guilty. The trial expects to last up to three weeks and could set a critical precedent for other cases that the Department of Justice plans to bring to court.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond when asked for a comment on the case.
Additional Piece: The Dangers of Being a Chinese Dissident in Foreign Countries
Chinese dissidents who choose to live abroad as political fugitives are frequently under threat of harassment, intimidation, and forcible repatriation to China through Operation Fox Hunt. The Chinese government’s campaign aims to bring fugitives back to China to face trial and punishment. Allegedly, there is a list of fugitives containing the names of thousands of individuals who are targeted by the campaign.
Several Chinese dissidents, including Chen Guancheng, have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, and attacks by the Chinese government. Chen, a human rights lawyer, was forced to flee China and found refuge in the United States.
However, he was under constant surveillance and even had his phone lines wiretapped while in the US. In Canada, members of the Uyghur activist community have reported that they have been receiving threats of violence over social media and have had to take additional security measures to keep themselves safe.
It is not just the fugitives themselves who are in danger. Their families, friends, and associates are inevitable collateral damage in the harassment campaign. The Chinese government has been known to threaten, intimidate, and harass those closest to the fugitives, including their elderly parents and children.
The harassment campaign is not limited to physical threats. The Chinese government has also filed lawsuits against fugitives and their families in foreign courts to intimidate and silence them further.
The danger of being a Chinese dissident in a foreign country is growing. The Chinese government’s determination to silence and intimidate individuals that are critical of their policies has led to an escalation in harassment and threats. Those who have fled China in search of freedom and safety still live in fear of being found and forcibly returned. It is important that the international community takes note of these threats and holds the Chinese government accountable for its actions.
Summary:
A former NYPD Sergeant and two Chinese nationals have been charged with attempting to intimidate a Chinese dissident and his family in the United States as part of the first federal trial on Operation Fox Hunt. The campaign seeks to forcibly repatriate Chinese citizens from foreign countries and has caused those who have fled China in search of safety to be under threat of harassment and intimidation, even in safe havens like the United States and Canada. The trial is expected to last up to three weeks and could set a precedent for the Department of Justice in bringing similar harassment cases to court.
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A former New York police officer and two Chinese nationals have been charged with attempting to intimidate a Chinese dissident and his family in the United States, as the first federal trial into Beijing’s alleged coordinated attempts to forcibly repatriate citizens started in Brooklyn.
Michael McMahon, a retired New York Police Department sergeant working as a private investigator, along with Zhu Yong of Queens and Zheng Congying of Brooklyn, were directly or indirectly “taught by Chinese government responsible for finding” the alleged victim at his home in suburban New Jersey, Assistant U.S. Attorney Irisa Chen said in her opening statements on Wednesday.
Zheng drove to the property in September 2018 and recorded a handwritten note that read, “If you are willing to return to your homeland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be safe.” , Chen said, adding that Zheng’s fingerprints were found on the flyer.
The trial, which is expected to last up to three weeks, could set an important precedent for other cases brought by the justice department as it stepped up its crackdown on a Chinese government campaign known as “Operation Fox Hunt”, which Beijing says aims to repatriate fugitives.
Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General, said China had “a history of targeting political dissidents and government critics who have sought relief and refuge in other countries.” FBI Director Christopher Wray defined “Operation Fox Hunt” as “part of the Chinese government’s diverse campaign of theft and malign influence.”
The defendants on trial in Brooklyn were originally charged in 2020. The Chinese government relied on McMahon’s help to find the alleged victim’s address, prosecutors said, telling jurors the former police officer followed the dissident at his home after a meeting with his elderly father, who had been flown in from China in an alleged attempt to lure him to a specific location from which he could be tracked.
A lawyer for McMahon, Lawrence Lustberg, said his client was a ‘hero cop’ who had ‘no idea he worked for China’ and thought he was employed by a construction company Chinese who had been the victim of embezzlement.
Zhu’s attorney, Kevin Tung, said his client believed he was helping collect a “private debt” and was actually “used by the Chinese government”.
Paul Goldberger, an attorney for Zheng, said his client “did nothing more than drive to New Jersey and put a note on the door,” which he returned to withdraw.
He added that the 27-year-old had never said anything that would “lead him to believe that at any time he was working for the Chinese government”.
If found guilty, the defendants – who each face four counts – face up to 10 years in prison.
In another case related to Operation Fox Hunt, the DoJ in October accused seven Chinese citizens who conspired to forcibly repatriate a Chinese national from the United States, alleging they had harassed the American resident and his relatives for years. Authorities also alleged that the Chinese government “harassed” the targets by filing a lawsuit in New York state court accusing them of embezzling money from a former China-based employer.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment at the time.
https://www.ft.com/content/1dbaaeae-1a59-4a71-ba5a-98b0ba536ae2
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