A defendant who defamed Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping via overseas social media made a public apology in court to the late scholar of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and was required to make apologies in public on the national media, according to Thursday’s ruling by a court in North China’s Tianjin Municipality.

The defendant surnamed Zhang published and shared nine times an insulting post about Yuan, “father of hybrid rice” in China, via an overseas information and networking platform, in the days between May 22 and 24, 2021. These posts received 10 comments, were shared 36 times and liked 275 times, according to the No.2 Branch of Tianjin Municipal People’s Procuratorate.

Based on the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs and the Civil Code, the procuratorate filed a civil lawsuit to the Tianjin No.2 Intermediate People's Court after seeking consent from Yuan's close relatives, requiring Zhang to make apologies in public on national media to expunge the bad influence his misguided words might have had on others.

According to the court, Zhang’s spreading of misinformation and false remarks had desecrated the good deeds and spirit of the revered academician, smeared his image and degraded his reputation, which had gone beyond the legal scope of freedom of speech. The behavior displayed by the defendant was ruled clearly wrong and the defendant was declared guilty of the actions.

The defendant’s behavior indeed not only defamed the academician's personal dignity, but also hurt the feelings of the public and harmed public interests.

Thus, the court ruled that Zhang should make apologies in public within 10 days from the effective date of this judgment.

After the verdict was made, Zhang complied with the verdict and read out loud a letter of apology to the late academician and his relatives in court, sincerely apologizing and regretting for his inappropriate remarks and promising never again to make improper remarks that may in any way harm the honor of heroes and martyrs.

Yuan died in Changsha, Central China’s Hunan Province on May 22， 2021 at the age of 91. He was a pioneer in the research and development of hybrid rice in China and the first scientist in the world to successfully utilize the method of rice heterosis.

The reputation and honor of deceased heroes and role models like Yuan Longping, whose deeds and spirits are universally recognized by society, should be protected, China's Supreme People's Procuratorate said on February 21, 2022.

Global Times