Headline: Dr. Chen Lin Granted Political Asylum in Germany
Berlin - Dr. Chen Lin, the scholar at the center of the "Harvard Doctor incident" in China, has recently been granted political asylum by the German government.
Dr. Chen was invited back to China in May 2002 to assume the position of president at a private university in Shandong Province. However, he soon faced public criticism from the "China Youth Daily," the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Youth League. Over a three-week period in the early summer, the newspaper published multiple front-page articles accusing him of various charges. This media frenzy, known as the "Harvard Doctorate Incident," caused a stir and involved an unprecedented high-profile condemnation of intellectuals, reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution that ended 40 years ago. Despite Dr. Chen's attempts to respond to the accusations, the "China Youth Daily" refused to publish his rebuttal and blocked independent media from investigating the allegations. With no access to today's social media platforms, Dr. Chen was unable to defend himself, resulting in the destruction of his reputation and career for over two decades.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Germany confirmed that the actions of the government-backed "China Youth Daily" amounted to persecution against Dr. Chen, leading to the granting of political asylum.
Germany maintains a stringent political asylum approval process, with only a small number of mainland Chinese individuals being granted asylum each year out of the thousands of applications received. Notable individuals among this select group include artist Ai Weiwei, independent writer Liao Yiwu, former team doctor of the Chinese national sports team Xue Yinxiang, and the widow of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.