The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times
AD
The Epoch Times
Support Us
Social Issues

China to Release 2 Coders Who Built Virus News Archive

China to Release 2 Coders Who Built Virus News Archive
A man using a computer in Dongguan, China's southern Guangdong Province, on Aug. 4, 2020. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
8/14/2021|Updated: 8/16/2021

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Two amateur Chinese computer coders who were jailed after archiving deleted news articles about the pandemic’s initial outbreak are set to be released next week after more than a year behind bars, one of their relatives said Saturday.

The two men, Chen Mei and Cai Wei, are set to be released Sunday, said Chen’s brother Chen Kun. They were taken away by Chinese police in April last year.

He said the Wenyuhe People’s Court on Friday handed down a sentence of one year and three months, to be applied retroactively, on the charge of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble.” The vague catch-all charge is often used for politically sensitive cases.

“After I heard the news, I really feel much lighter,” said Chen Kun in a phone interview Saturday. ”Over the course of the past year, every day I would think, ‘How do I do something about this situation?’”

The two young men, who became friends when they were both teenagers, built an archive called Terminus2049 where they kept hundreds of censored articles that had been deleted from the Chinese internet. They also built a forum where people could discuss sensitive issues, including the anti-government protests in Hong Kong and the ruling Communist Party.

Friends and family have said what may have caught authorities’ attention appears to be their work in archiving articles showing China’s early pandemic response after the initial outbreak in the central city of Wuhan.

The two do not plan to appeal the sentence, Chen said.

By Huizhong Wu
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Author
Author’s Selected Articles

Popular 1980s Actress Loni Anderson of Hit TV Series ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Dies at 80

Aug 03, 2025
Popular 1980s Actress Loni Anderson of Hit TV Series ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Dies at 80

Volcano in Russia’s Far East Erupts for First Time in Centuries Following 8.8 Magnitude Earthqake

Aug 03, 2025
Volcano in Russia’s Far East Erupts for First Time in Centuries Following 8.8 Magnitude Earthqake

Americans Finish Strong With Women’s Medley Relay World Record in Swim Worlds to Top Medal Tables

Aug 03, 2025
Americans Finish Strong With Women’s Medley Relay World Record in Swim Worlds to Top Medal Tables

American Eagle Responds to Critics Over Ad With Sydney Sweeney

Aug 03, 2025
American Eagle Responds to Critics Over Ad With Sydney Sweeney
Related Topics
Chinese Internet
censorship
Terminus2049
Add to My List
Save
The Epoch Times
To ensure we reach the high standards of reliability and neutrality that you expect from us, we are engaging with Ad Fontes Media to analyze our content. If you find an article you think falls short of the standard, please submit the link through this form.
Copyright © 2000 - 2025 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.