China Human Rights Briefing July 13-19, 2011

July 19, 2011 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing

July 13-19, 2011

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Highlights

Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown: CHRD has learned the case against Wang Lihong (王荔蕻), the Beijing-based activist charged with “gathering a crowd to disrupt traffic order,” will be transferred to a court this week, and trial proceedings are likely to begin in August.

Activist Yao Lifa Disappeared for Almost One Month, Home Repeatedly Searched, Wife Threatened: On July 13, the home of democracy activist Yao Lifa (姚立法), who has been missing for nearly a month, was searched for the fifth time, and his wife continues to be threatened as she tries to find out from authorities what has happened to Yao.

Contents

Arbitrary Detention

Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown
Police Raid Home of Anhui Activist, Issue Administrative Detention
Guangdong Petitioner Held Over Four Months in Black Jail

Harassment of Activists

Environmentalist “On the Run” From Police, Has Home Raided, Property Confiscated

Harassment of Human Rights Lawyers

Police Prevent Lawyer From Meeting Suspect in Guangxi Beating Death Case

Harassment of Activists’ Family Members

Home of Missing Activist Yao Lifa Searched for Fifth Time, Wife Threatened as Authorities Evade Inquiries

Arbitrary Detention

Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown

Wang Lihong Case Going to Trial

CHRD has learned that the case against Wang Lihong (王荔蕻), the Beijing-based activist charged with “gathering a crowd to disrupt traffic order,” will be transferred to a court later this week. Her lawyer, Han Yicun (韩一村), has indicated that on July 15 he called the procuratorate, which told him the decision had been made to prosecute the case. The court will soon contact the involved parties and the attorneys, and trial proceeding are likely to begin in August. Many individuals are reportedly willing to testify to Wang’s innocence in the case, which stems from her participation in a peaceful protest at the sentencing hearing in April 2010 of three detained Fujian activists prosecuted for online postings calling for investigation of suspected police corruption.

Currently held in the Chaoyang District Detention Center, Wang Lihong, 56, was criminally detained for “creating a disturbance” on March 21 of this year during the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdown and formally arrested on April 21, but the charge against her was later changed to “assembling a crowd to disrupt traffic order.” In May, her two lawyers, Liu Xiaoyuan (刘晓原) and Han Yicun, applied for her release on bail, but the request was rejected, and the case was then transferred to the procuratorate for review on June 18. (CHRD)[i]

Zhu Yufu’s Wife Applies for Bail for Ill Husband

On July 12, Jiang Hangli (蒋杭莉), wife of Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫), a Hangzhou-based democracy activist who was formally arrested on April 11, submitted an application to the Hangzhou Municipal Procuratorate seeking bail (取保候审) for her husband due to his poor health. Zhu’s case is currently with the procuratorate, which is reviewing the case to determine if it should proceed to trial. Zhu, who is being held at the Shangcheng District Detention Center, suffers from a variety of illnesses, including hypertension, high cholesterol, gallstones, and other health problems.

Zhu Yufu was taken away by police on March 5 as part of the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdown. He was criminally detained and later arrested on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” (煽动颠覆国家政权罪). Zhu has served a total of nine years in prison following convictions in 1999 for “subversion of state power” (颠覆国家政权罪), and in 2007 for “beating police and disrupting public duty.” (CHRD)[ii]

Authorities Again Block Lawyer from Meeting Ding Mao

On July 8, Ran Tong (冉彤), the attorney defending Sichuan rights activist Ding Mao (丁茅) against a charge of “inciting subversion of state power,” was again prevented by Mianyang authorities from meeting with Ding in the Mianyang Municipal Detention Center. This is reportedly the second time Ran has been unable to see his client, with authorities using various excuses to prevent the meetings. Ding’s wife, Feng Xia (冯霞), has also had difficulty communicating with Ding and obtaining information about him, but did recently learn from the procuratorate that his case had been sent back to the public security bureau for further investigation.
Ding Mao was seized from his home on February 19 and criminally detained the next day by police in Mianyang on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power.” Ding was a student leader during the 1989 pro-democracy protests and was twice imprisoned, first in 1989 and again in 1992. He has spent more than a total of 10 years in various forms of incarceration because of his activism. (CHRD)[iii]

Police Raid Home of Anhui Activist, Issue Administrative Detention

Democracy rights activist Wu Yuebao (吴乐宝), from Bengbu City, Anhui Province, is believed to be serving 10 days of administrative detention since he was taken away on July 14. When fellow activists recently could not reach Wu, Li Wenge (李文革) rushed to his home on July 18 and spoke to Wu’s father. Li learned that Wu was taken away four days earlier, when his residence was searched and several items confiscated, including a computer. His family has requested a detention notice, but police have only said that Wu himself has the documentation. Forbidden from seeing Wu, the family also does not know what charge was filed against Wu but said police have mentioned that it relates to state secrets.

Wu Yuebao, 28, graduated from Harbin Engineering University and has taught at the Bengbu Institute of Electronics. Since the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdown began, he has been summoned numerous times by police for being active on Twitter. (CHRD)[iv]

Guangdong Petitioner Held Over Four Months in Black Jail

Yang Yamei (杨亚美), a petitioner from Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, has now been illegally detained in a black jail for more than 120 days. On March 5, 2011, Yang was petitioning to the State Bureau for Letters and Visits in Beijing when interceptors from Guangdong forcibly returned her to her home province, and she has been detained ever since at a land use monitoring base in Wujiang District in Xilian Town. During this time, authorities had also detained her husband, He Mingzheng (何明政), for 54 days, but he was released after suffering a heart attack. He later called the local public security bureau and procuratorate about his wife’s detention, but they refused to take up the matter. He then contacted the president of the Wujiang District Court, who sent two court vice presidents to Xilian; they told Xilian’s mayor to immediately release Yang, but he refused and said the matter was not under the court’s jurisdiction.

Yang and He began to petition locally in 2006 over a land requisition issue that they allege involved official corruption. With their grievance unresolved, the couple went to Beijing in March 2007 to petition at the State Bureau for Letters and Visits. Central authorities subsequently sent the complaint back to the Guangdong Bureau of Letters and Visits, and the Xilian government has retaliated against the couple by detaining them numerous times in a black jail. (CHRD)[v]

Harassment of Activists

Environmentalist “On the Run” From Police, Has Home Raided, Property Confiscated

On July 13, national security officers raided homes in Pingnan County, Fujian Province and tried to arrest Zhang Changjian (张长建), an environmentalist and head of the group “Pingnan Green Homes” (屏南绿色之家), suspecting him of “illegal activities in the name of a social group” (非法以社团名义活动). Zhang was not present at the time of the raids and subsequently went missing, and police confiscated a large number of items. There was no information about Zhang from that day until July 19, when a message was sent to friends (still unconfirmed to be from Zhang) saying he has been on the run from authorities, but his whereabouts were not disclosed.

More than 20 officers from the Pingan County Public Security Bureau (PSB) on July 13 entered the home of Zhang’s friend, Zhou Rongqinq (周蓉青), on the grounds that a legal literacy program for farmers scheduled for July 18 and 19 constituted “illegal social-group activities.” They took Zhou to the Pingnan PSB, where officers asked about funding for the training and its organizers. Officers warned Zhou that only a justice bureau, and not citizens, can legally sponsor programs that popularize legal literacy. That evening, officers searched Zhang’s home for six hours. Through the two searches, officers confiscated several dozen items, including Zhang’s computer and digital camera, materials on legal literacy, funds for making energy-saving stoves, receipts for stoves, cooperative ecological business license, tax registration certificate, and the group’s seal. On the evening of July 14, officers called in five of the legal literacy training participants and had them submit written records about the training at the Chengguan Police Station. (Human Rights Campaign in China)[vi]

Harassment of Human Rights Lawyers

Police Prevent Lawyer From Meeting Suspect in Guangxi Beating Death Case

On the morning of July 11, Fang Ligang (房立刚), a lawyer from Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, was prevented by court and public security officers from meeting Pei Rihong (裴日红), who is being held in the Beihai Municipal Detention Center in Beihai City, Guangxi Province, on suspicion of “intentional injury” for a beating death that occurred in November 2009. The reason given was that Fang had not “reported” his representation of Pei to the Beihai Municipal Intermediate People’s Court. Three plainclothes police officers forcibly removed Fang from the attorney visitation room in the detention center and took him to the court to check his identity card and confirm his status as a lawyer. Fang attempted to see Pei the next morning, but a group of officers again prevented the meeting, and insulted Fang and repeatedly searched him in a screening room.

Fang is among a group of lawyers who have come together to support the defense of individuals accused in the November 2009 beating death case in Beihai after four previous defense lawyers were detained in June of this year. Of those four attorneys, the arrest of Yang Zaixin (杨在新) on suspicion of “obstructing testimony” was approved by the procuratorate on June 29, while the other three were released on bail a day earlier. (CHRD)[vii]

Harassment of Activists’ Family Members

Home of Missing Activist Yao Lifa Searched for Fifth Time, Wife Threatened as Authorities Evade Inquiries

In the early morning of July 13, the home of elections expert Yao Lifa (姚立法), who has been missing since June 20, was illegally searched by personnel from the school where Yao works. This was the fifth time in recent weeks that his home, located in Qianjiang City, Hubei Province, has been searched. The school officials also threatened Yao’s wife, Feng Ling (冯玲), who has continued to ask authorities for information about Yao, but without success.

The principal of the school, Wang Qian (汪潜), and two teachers forced their way into Yao’s home on July 13. The teachers carried out the unlawful search, and eventually took away five or six boxes of materials, most of which related to elections. While the teachers searched, Wang told Feng that Yao was taken away on June 20 to “study” during the school’s summer vacation but claimed Yao then left the “class” without permission. Wang said that Yao must immediately return to his work at the school, or he will be considered absent without leave and will be dealt with accordingly. When Feng tried to stop the teachers from taking Yao’s property, the three men forced Feng into a surveillance vehicle and threatened to beat her, but she was let go after onlookers criticized their conduct. Feng later went to the Yuanlin Police Station to report the incident, but the station personnel on duty told her the matter was not their responsibility.

Two days earlier, on July 11, Feng had gone with a lawyer to the Qianjiang Public Security Bureau to ask the bureau chief about the whereabouts of her husband. She was told the chief was not in and advised to go to the Yuanlin Police Station to speak to the police. Feng then reported Yao missing at the police station, but an officer stated Yao’s situation did not constitute a missing-person case. The police eventually said they would help look for Yao but did not provide Feng a written record of the discussion. (CHRD)[viii]

Editors of this issue: Victor Clemens and Renee Xia

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News updates from CHRD

[i] “Case Against Wang Lihong Going to Court, Many Willing to Testify,” (王荔蕻案将移送法院，多人愿为其出庭作证), July 17, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_17.html; “Wang Lihong Case Transferred to Procuratorate, Attorneys Discuss Possible Outcomes,” (王荔蕻案移交检察院，律师谈可能出现的结果), July 11, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_2107.html?spref=tw; “Wang Lihong’s Lawyer Applies for Her Release on Bail to Await Trial, is Rejected” (王荔蕻的律师为其申请取保候审被拒), May 20, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_7307.html

[ii] “Family Submits Bail Application for Zhu Yufu, Case Under Review for Prosecution” (陈树庆：传朱虞夫被审查起诉，家属提出取保候审申请), July 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_1717.html; “Hangzhou Democracy Activist Zhu Yufu Formally Arrested” (杭州民主党人朱虞夫被批准逮捕), April 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post_3408.html

[iii] “Lawyer Again Blocked from Meeting Ding Mao,” (律师会见丁茅再次受阻), July 14, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_1393.html; “Police Block Lawyer from Meeting with Mianyang Democracy Activist Ding Mao” (警方阻止律师会见绵阳民主维权人士丁茅), April 9, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post_5589.html

“Individuals Affected by the Crackdown Following Call for ‘Jasmine Revolution,’” July 17, 2011 (updated), https://www.nchrd.org/2011/06/17/jasmine_crackdown/

[iv] “Urgent Alert: Bengbu Democracy Rights Activist Wu Yuebao Has Home Searched, Is Detained,” (紧急关注：蚌埠民主维权人士吴乐宝被抄家拘留), June 18, 2011,
http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_6893.html

[v]“Petitioner Yang Yamei Held Over 100 Days in Black Jail,” (访民杨亚美被关黑监狱一百余天未获释), July 14, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_3829.html

[vi]“Zhang Changjian: I’ve Been Forced To Go On The Run,” (张长建：我被逼走上逃亡生涯), July 19, 2011, http://rightscampaign.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_19.html; “Civil Environmental Activist Zhang Changjian Has House Searched, Goes Missing For Popularizing Legal Literacy,” (民间环保卫士张长建因普法家被抄人被失踪), July 15, 2011, http://rightscampaign.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_64.html

[vii]“Officers Harass, Insult Fang Ligang, Member of Beihai Lawyers Group, During Detention Center Visit,” (北海律师团成员房立刚律师看守所会见受警察刁难侮辱), July 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_5161.html

[viii]“Elections Expert Yao Lifa Missing for 24 Days, Wife Talked To As Home Searched Again,” (选举专家姚立法失踪24天，妻子被谈话家中再次被查抄), July 13, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/24.html