With the re-education through labor committee in Chongqing insisting it made the right decision, the former village official who was detained for more than a year for criticizing the city's so-called red song campaign, said he is equally adamant about taking his case to court.
During an interview with the Central China Television on Sunday, Ren Jianyu, who spent 15 months in detention and was released on November 19, insists he should have his name cleared and his old job back.
The re-education through labor committee in Chongqing could not be reached for comment. Pu Zhiqiang, Ren's lawyer, told the Global Times that Ren will appeal the case to a higher court next month.
The Chongqing No.3 Intermediate People's Court dismissed his suit against the re-education committee on November 20, saying it was filed after a deadline had passed.
"I need to restore my reputation. I did not break the law. People shouldn't be detained for voicing their opinion," Ren said, adding that the labor committee still believes it did the right thing by holding him.
Although Ren was released, he remains saddled with a record of inciting subversion.
In an earlier interview, Ren told the Global Times that he had been approached by the re-education committee to drop the case in exchange for his freedom.
"There were three things I wanted when the re-education committee approached me; revoking the decision of my re-education, compensation from the State and my old job back," Ren said in the interview, "They told me I cannot have my job."
"Only by giving me my job back can I prove to people that I have done nothing wrong," Ren said, "But they turned me down. They told me I had issues and I deserved to be re-educated."
Ren had been working as a village official and was arrested the day his position turned permanent.
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