TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A preparatory hearing in the criminal trial of online influencer Chen Chih-han (陳之漢), also known as Kuan Chang (館長), was held on Monday in New Taipei.
At the hearing, Chen denied the charges with a plea of not guilty, reported UDN. Outside the courthouse, Chen denounced the case as judicial persecution and requested that the court summon President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to the next hearing.
Chen was arrested in October after making comments during a livestream that allegedly threatened the president. He was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,700), and later indicted for intimidation and endangering public safety.
After entering his plea in court, Chen said his comments were taken out of context. He claimed he never intended to incite others to violence despite making comments about a “decapitation strike” against the president and “unifying Taiwan by force.”
Chen criticized the prosecutors and the judicial system, calling it “laughable” and an attack on free speech. Prosecutors said Chen understood the influence he has and argued his comments constituted malicious threats against the president, reported CNA.
Before his arrest in October, Chen was under scrutiny for reportedly colluding with China’s United Front Work Department. Chen made a trip to China in the summer of 2025, where he was allegedly paid to criticize the Lai government as part of China’s cognitive warfare campaign against Taiwan.