20 September 2006

CHINA: Founder of popular Aegean Sea Web site arrested 


New York, September 20, 2006— The Committee to Protect Journalists is 
concerned by the arrest in China of the founder of Aegean Sea, the popular 
Web site closed down March 9. Zhang Jianhong was detained September 6 on allegations of “inciting subversion” through his online political essays, 
according to news reports and CPJ sources. Zhang’s most recent Internet 
essay, written under the pen name Li Hong, was sharply critical of the 
government’s treatment of Chinese citizens two years ahead of the Olympic 
Games in Beijing. 

Zhang’s detention comes amid a sustained crackdown on dissident 
journalists, essayists, activists, lawyers and scholars who use the Internet 
to advocate for citizens’ rights, protest human rights abuses or call for 
greater democracy. Activist Yang Maodong (who goes by the pen name Guo Feixiong), and China Democracy Party activist Chen Shuqing were jailed last week on charges of illegal publishing and inciting subversion through their online writings. 

“China, which invited international scrutiny when it agreed to host the 
2008 Olympic Games, remains determined to stifle all domestic criticism,” 
said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We call on the authorities to 
release Zhang Jianhong immediately, and abide by the commitments that the government has made ahead of the Games to allow media freedoms.” 


Authorities have not clarified their allegations against Zhang, but many of 
his essays were highly critical of central government actions. An essay 
written two days before his detention called attention to international 
organizations’ criticism of the government’s human rights record and in 
particular the poor treatment of journalists and their sources two years 
before the start of the Olympics. Zhang referred to the situation as 
“Olympicgate.” 

Police took Zhang from his home in Ningbo, in eastern China’s Zhejiang 
province, according to Chinese-language online news reports and CPJ sources. His computer equipment was confiscated and his family was later notified by the local Public Security Bureau that he had been arrested on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state authority,” a crime that brings a prison sentence of several years. 

Zhang, 48, was a founder and editor of the popular literary and news Web 
site Aegean Sea (Aiqinhai) until it was closed in March for unauthorized 
posting of international and domestic news. He had also been a recent 
contributor to several U.S.-based Chinese-language Web sites, including 
Boxun, the pro-democracy forum Minzhu Luntan, and Epoch Times, which is 
affiliated with the banned Chinese religious group Falun Gong. 

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org. 

Bob Dietz bdietz@cpj.org 

Asia Program Coordinator 

Kristin Jones kjones@cpj.org 

Asia Program Senior Researcher 

Committee to Protect Journalists 

330 Seventh Ave, 11th floor 

New York, NY 10001 

+1 212 465 1004 

www.cpj.org 

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