Taiwan Recall Campaign Leader Detained Amidst Forgery Allegations

Investigation Uncovers Suspected Signature Fraud in Kaohsiung Recall Efforts, Raising Concerns About Political Interference

In a developing situation in Taiwan, Hsu Shang-hsien (徐尚賢), the leader of a recall vote campaign organization targeting two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers in Kaohsiung, has been detained. The detention follows questioning related to alleged forgery and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法).

The Kaohsiung District Court authorized the detention, approving prosecutors' request for Hsu to be held incommunicado for two months. The court cited fears that Hsu could potentially tamper with evidence or collaborate with other individuals involved in the investigation.

According to court documents, Hsu admitted that a significant portion of the signatures on the recall petition documents were not from actual supporters, but were instead provided by himself or campaign volunteers.

Although Hsu denied any illegal collection or use of personal data, the court stated that digital evidence obtained from two confiscated phones, along with witness testimony, indicated “suspected serious illegality.”

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office revealed that Hsu had deleted files and chat records related to the recall vote campaign and had also advised others, including Chu Lei (朱磊) and a woman surnamed Huang (黃), on how to respond to judicial inquiries.

Huang was released without bail after being questioned, while Chu was released on bail of NT$150,000. The court emphasized that due to the uncertainty surrounding the facts and the potential risk of collusion with others yet to be questioned, Hsu's pretrial detention was warranted.

Hsu led the “Double Strike Petition Headquarters,” which organized signature collections for recall campaigns against DPP lawmakers Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) and Huang Jie (黃捷), both of whom represent Kaohsiung electoral districts.

This case is one of several ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in recall vote campaigns aimed at DPP lawmakers. The situation has led opposition politicians to accuse the ruling party of utilizing the judiciary to "persecute" their political opponents.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) protested outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and is urging Taiwanese citizens to assemble in front of the Presidential Office Building. The DPP has refuted these allegations, accusing the KMT of endangering Taiwan’s social stability and democracy.

Last week, separate investigations by Taipei and New Taipei City prosecutors resulted in raids and the arrests of activists who had allegedly forged signatures and contravened data protection laws within the context of their recall campaigns against DPP lawmakers.

According to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), a public vote can be triggered if campaigners successfully collect signatures from 1 percent of district voters in the initial round and 10 percent in the subsequent round.