|
|
7
April 2008
CHINA:
Activist and dissident writer Hu Jia
sentenced to three and a half years in
prison; health concerns.
RAPID ACTION
NETWORK
Update #1 to
RAN 01/08
The Writers
in Prison
Committee of
International
PEN is shocked
by the
conviction of
activist and
dissident Hu Jia,
who was handed
down a
three-and-a-half
year sentence on
3 April 2008 for
｀inciting
subversion of
state power¨ for
his critical
writings and
dissident
activities. Hu
suffers from
poor health, and
PEN seeks
assurances of
his well-being
as a matter of
urgency.
International
PEN considers Hu
Jia to be held
solely for
peacefully
exercising his
right to free
expression which
is protected
under Article 35
of the Chinese
Constitution and
Article
19 of the United
Nations
International
Covenant on
Civil and
Political
Rights, to which
China is
a signatory. PEN
therefore calls
for his
immediate and
unconditional
release.
According to
PEN¨s
information,
leading
Beijing-based
human rights
activist and
freelance
reporter Hu Jia
was arrested
from his home by
the
Beijing
Municipal Public
Security Bureau
on 27 December
2007 and tried
on 18 March 2008
at the
Beijing
Municipal No. 1
Intermediate
People's Court.
He was sentenced
on 3 April 2008
to
three-and-a-half
years in prison
on subversion
charges for his
critical online
articles and
dissident
activities. He
has decided not
to appeal his
sentence.
According to his
lawyer, evidence
presented
against him in
court included
five articles
published on
banned overseas
Chinese websites
and two
interviews given
to the foreign
media. He is
also believed to
be targeted for
an open letter
he signed, "The
Real
China
Before the
Olympics,"
which demanded
an end to human
rights abuses in
the run-up to
the
Olympic Games
to be held in
Beijing
in August 2008.
His arrest
appears to be
part of a
crackdown on
dissidents in
the run-up to
the
Beijing Olympics.
Hu, aged 34,
was placed under
residential
surveillance on
18 May 2007 with
his wife Zeng
Jinyan for
making a
documentary film
"Prisoners of
Freedom City"
about their
shared life of
harassment and
surveillance ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_rcsoWFRk).
In spite of this
he continued his
dissident
activities,
reporting on
human rights
abuses and
publishing
online articles,
until his arrest
in December
2007. Hu is
known for his
activities on
environmental
and AIDS issues,
and was briefly
detained in
February 2006.
Hu Jia is
held at the
Beijing
Municipal
Detention
Centre, and
there are fears
for his health.
Hu Jia suffers
from long-term
health problems
including
cirrhosis of the
liver, and there
are fears that
his condition
could seriously
deteriorate in
prison. Hu Jia¨s
family have also
been subjected
to harassment
and severe
restrictions of
movement since
his arrest, and
there are
serious concerns
for his wife
Zeng Jingyan,
who has a
four-month-old
baby and has
been under
effective house
arrest since
Hu¨s detention.
Her case was
featured in
PEN¨s campaign
to mark this
year¨s
International
Women¨s Day (8
March):
http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/1917/prmID/172
Please
send appeals:
-
Protesting
the sentence
handed down
to activist
and
dissident
writer Hu
Jia, and
calling for
his
immediate
and
unconditional
release in
accordance
with Article
35 of the
Chinese
constitution
and Article
19 of the
International
Covenant on
Civil and
Political
Rights, to
which
China
became a
signatory in
1998.
-
Expressing
concern for
his health,
and seeking
assurances
of his
well-being;
-
Protesting
the
harassment
of Hu¨s
family.
Please
note that
there are no
fax numbers
for the
Chinese
authorities.
WiPC
recommends
that you
copy your
appeal to
the Chinese
embassy in
your country
asking them
to forward
it and
welcoming
any
comments.
Government
addresses:
His
Excellency
Hu Jintao
President
of the People¨s
Republic of
China
State Council
Beijing
100032
P.R.
China.
Chief Judge
Mr. WANG
Shengjun
President of the
Supreme People¨s
Court
No.27
Dongjiaominxiang
Dongcheng
District,
Beijing
100745
People¨s
Republic of
China
Please
note that fax
numbers are no
longer available
for the Chinese
authorities, so
you may wish to
ask the
diplomatic
representative
for
China in
your country to
forward your
appeals.
Please copy
appeals to the
diplomatic
representative
for
China in
your country if
possible.
**Please contact
the PEN WiPC
office in
London if
sending appeals
after 30 April
2008**
For further
information
please contact
Cathy McCann at
International
PEN Writers in
Prison
Committee,
Brownlow House,
50/51
High Holborn,
London WC1V 6ER,
Tel.+ 44 (0) 20
7405 0338, Fax:
+44 (0) 20 7405
0339, email:
cathy.mccann@internationalpen.org.uk
Cathy McCann
Researcher,
Asia/Middle East
International
PEN Writers in
Prison Committee
Brownlow House
50-51 High
Holborn
London WC1V 6ER.
Tel.+44 (0)20
7405 0338
Fax: +44 (0)20
7405 0339
|
Home
|
|
|
 | |
|
|
| |
