China Human Rights Briefing July 20-26, 2011
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July 20-26, 2011
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Highlights
- Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown: CHRD has learned that, around July 13, the case against lawyer Ni Yulan (倪玉兰) and her husband, Dong Jiqin (董继勤), was transferred to the procuratorate, with Ni additionally charged with fraud. Also, CHRD has learned of the releases of two individuals—dissident Sun Desheng (孙德胜) was released on bail around July 10 after being detained since February, while editor and activist Yuan Xinting (袁新亭) has been released as well.
- Beijing Activist Suffering from Illnesses In Detention: Human rights activist Li Jinping (李金平), who has been held in a psychiatric institution since October 2010, has been suffering for months from serious physical illnesses, but authorities will not release Li or allow his brother to see him.
Contents
Arbitrary Detention
• Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown
• Anhui Activist Criminally Detained, Other Local Activists Threatened
• Detained Beijing Activist Li Jinping Severely Ill in Psychiatric Institution
• Shandong Petitioner Administratively Detained After Being Held in Black Jail, Warned “Don’t Learn from Li Hongwei”
Harassment of Petitioners
• Heilongjiang Public Order Personnel Injure, Detain Village Petitioners
Arbitrary Detention
Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown
Case of Detained Lawyer, Torture Victim Ni Yulan Transferred to Procuratorate, Fraud Charge Added
CHRD has learned that the case against Ni Yulan (倪玉兰), a rights defense lawyer and victim of torture, and her husband, Dong Jiqin (董继勤), both arrested in May on suspicion of “creating a disturbance,” was transferred to the Xicheng District Procuratorate around July 13, indicating the case may soon go to trial. Ni has also been additionally charged with fraud, according to the couple’s daughter, Dong Beibei (董贝贝). The written recommendation for prosecution states the fraud charge stems from authorities’ alleging that Ni said she was a lawyer in order to both win sympathy for her situation and to profit. (Ni’s lawyer license was revoked in 2002.)
Ni Yulan and Dong Jiqin have been held at the Xicheng Detention Center since being seized by police in early April during the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdown for hanging a banner outside the Yuxinyuan Guest House, where they were living at the time. Ni’s lawyer, Cheng Hai (程海), had unsuccessfully sought Ni’s release on medical parole due to her health, as she cannot walk and has numerous medical problems after suffering torture in detention over the past decade. (CHRD)[i]
Sun Desheng Released on Bail, Yuan Xinting Also Released
CHRD has learned that Sun Desheng (孙德胜), a Zhejiang-born dissident living in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, was released on bail around July 10 after being criminally detained since February on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”(涉嫌煽动颠覆国家政权罪). Sun’s detention reportedly stemmed from his making pro-democracy posters, which he left at the home of human rights lawyer Tang Jingling (唐荆陵). The possession of these materials was also the main reason Tang was taken into custody on February 22 on an incitement charge; Tang remains under residential surveillance at the Dashi Police Training Center (大石民警培训中心) in Guangzhou’s Panyu District.
Sun’s family members came to Guangzhou to handle the bail procedures, and then they were all sent back to Zhejiang. Sun has indicated that he would like to return to Guangzhou and “seek an explanation” about police beatings that he endured while in custody.
CHRD also has learned that Yuan Xinting (袁新亭), a Guangzhou-based editor and activist originally from Sichuan Province, has been released and sent back to his hometown. At present, it is believed he is not being allowed to return to Guangzhou. (CHRD)[ii]
Anhui Activist Criminally Detained, Other Local Activists Threatened
Democracy rights activist Wu Yuebao (吴乐宝), from Bengbu City, Anhui Province, was reportedly criminally detained on July 24, the day he completed 10 days of administrative detention. That morning, fellow Bengbu activists Li Wenge (李文革) and Qian Jin (钱进) went to the detention house expecting Wu to be released from administrative detention, but he wasn’t released when they came to meet him. In the afternoon, Li was taken away by police and his home was searched. Other Bengbu activists, including Qian, were summoned to their local police stations, where officers indicated Wu had been criminally detained for spreading “bad information” online and “overhyping” certain issues, likely through his active use of Twitter. Police warned the activists not to initiate appeals for him—or else measures would be taken against them—and eventually released all those they had summoned.
Wu Yuebao was taken away by police on July 14, when his home was searched and several items confiscated, including a computer. At the time of writing, Wu’s family had not received written notification of either detention or specific information about charges against him. (CHRD)[iii]
Detained Beijing Activist Li Jinping Severely Ill in Psychiatric Institution
CHRD has learned that Beijing human rights activist Li Jinping (李金平), who has been illegally detained in a psychiatric institution since last fall, has been suffering since at least May from hepatitis B and also cerebral thrombosis, a condition that can lead to a stroke. Still, the hospital has refused to release him or allow his brother to see him, and claims that Li is receiving medical treatment, though his current state of health remains unclear.
Li Jinping went out of contact around October 2010, and his younger brother, Li Jinlong (李金龙), found out only in December that Chaoyang national security police and officers from the Changying Police Station were holding him at the Chaoyang District Mental Health Center. Center officials have stated that they don’t have the authority to allow Li Jinlong to see his brother or to release him. After police ignored Li’s appeal to intervene, he filed a lawsuit in January over his brother’s illegal detention against both the Chaoyang branch of the Public Security Bureau and the hospital. But the Chaoyang District People’s Court refused to prosecute the case, saying that Li should instead petition about the matter to the Letters and Visits Bureau.
Li, a former police officer whose home was forcibly demolished in 2008, has been detained on numerous occasions as a result of campaigning to free and rehabilitate former CCP General Secretary Zhao Ziyang (赵紫阳), who lived under house arrest before his death in 2005, as well as his advocacy for the rights of fellow petitioners. (CHRD)[iv]
Shandong Petitioner Administratively Detained After Being Held in Black Jail, Warned “Don’t Learn from Li Hongwei”
On July 23, Hou Zonglan (侯宗兰), a petitioner and activist from Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, was released after 10 days of administrative detention issued as punishment for petitioning in Beijing in June. The Lixia District branch of the Jinan Public Security Bureau (PSB) reportedly warned her not to follow in the footsteps of fellow Lixia petitioner Li Hongwei (李红卫). Li, who was recently ordered to serve 21 months of Re-education through Labor (RTL), filed a landmark lawsuit last year against the Lixia District government for detaining her in a black jail for 17 days. Li’s application for reconsideration of the RTL decision was accepted earlier this week by the Jinan Municipal government, which should issue a decision about it within two months.
On June 8, Hou, who began petitioning in August 2009 after she was forcibly evicted and had her home demolished, was among 16 individuals seized by officers from the Beijing PSB while petitioning near Zhongnanhai. The petitioners were first detained at Jiujingzhuang Black Jail in Beijing, and then Jinan police arrived and forcibly took them back to Jinan, where they were again held in a black jail. Local officials released Hou on June 13 because they were worried about what might happen to her since she had gone on a hunger strike. On June 30, Hou and some of the other petitioners returned to Beijing, but interceptors took them back to Jinan on the same day. On July 13, the Lixia District PSB ordered 10 days of administrative detention for Hou, stating that she had instigated the other petitioners to go to Zhongnanhai and attempted to disrupt its “regular working order” in order to express her own views on the forced demolition issue. (CHRD)[v]
Harassment of Petitioners
Heilongjiang Public Order Personnel Injure, Detain Village Petitioners
CHRD has learned that, on July 18, public order workers suppressed and injured villagers from Wangdalatun Village in Wuchang City, Heilongjiang Province, as they kneeled at the entrance of the provincial government building to demand the return of more than 1,000 mu (over 67 hectares) of illegally expropriated forest and farmland. According to one villager, Mr. Chen, who spoke with CHRD on July 21, Wuchang public order personnel injured many people, including a pregnant woman who was hospitalized after being kicked in the stomach. Three villagers were detained, including an elderly woman who had just had surgery. Villagers sought the release of those detained, but were reportedly told by government officials that the punishment for “disrupting social order” (扰乱社会秩序) is at least 10 days in detention.
Mr. Chen said the Wuchang government had not received state approval before expropriating the land, the majority of which it was selling off to developers. In the past, the villagers had reportedly received a favorable decision over the issue from the Heilongjiang Provincial Land and Resources Department, which had concluded the land rightfully belonged to the villagers, and that they could seek compensation from the local government. But the government reportedly falsified evidence about the situation and refused to grant any compensation. (CHRD)[vi]
Editors of this issue: Victor Clemens and Tanya Wang
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[i] “Ni Yulan and Husband’s Case Transferred to Procuratorate, ‘Fraud’ Charge Added,” (倪玉兰夫妇案移送检察院，再增“诈骗”罪), July 21, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_8706.html; “Arrests of Rights Defense Lawyer Ni Yulan and Husband Both Confirmed, Family Has Not Received Formal Notice,” (倪玉兰夫妇双双被捕，亲属未收到法律文书), June 9, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/06/blog-post_09.html; “News Flash: Arrest of Human Rights Lawyer Ni Yulan Approved” (快讯：维权律师倪玉兰被批准逮捕), May 17, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_4735.html
[ii] “Tang Jingling Still Under Residential Surveillance, Sun Desheng Released on Bail,” (唐荆陵仍被监视居住，孙德胜已经取保候审), July 26, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_26.html
“Individuals Affected by the Crackdown Following Call for ‘Jasmine Revolution,’” July 26, 2011 (updated), https://www.nchrd.org/2011/06/17/jasmine_crackdown/
[iii] “Bengbu, Anhui Dissident Wu Yuebao Criminally Detained, Several Rights Defenders Warned by Police,” (安徽蚌埠异议人士吴乐宝被刑拘，多名维权人士被警告), July 24, 2011,
http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_8787.html?spref=tw; “Wu Yuebao Not Released When Detention Period Ends; Li Wenge Taken Away, Has Home Searched,” (吴乐宝到期未放，李文革被带走抄家), July 24, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_24.html; “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
[iv] “Beijing Human Rights Activist Li Jinping, Detained in Psychiatric Hospital, Found To Be Suffering in May,” (被关押在精神病院的北京维权人士李金平，今年5月查出患), July 21, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_5494.html?spref=tw; “Special Alert: Beijing Dissident Li Jinping Detained in Psychiatric Institution” (特别关注：北京异议人士李金平被关入精神病院), December 25, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/12/201012251239.shtml
[v] “Hou Zonglan of Jinan Administratively Detained After Being Held in ‘Black Jail,’” (济南侯宗兰被关“黑监狱”后行政拘留) July 24, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_6792.html; “Jinan Activist Hou Zonglan Summoned for Celebrating Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Peace Prize” (因庆祝刘晓 波获诺奖济南维权人士侯宗兰被传唤), October 20, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010202131.shtml; “Li Hongwei’s Administrative Review Application Against RTL Punishment Accepted,” (李红卫不服劳教提起的行政复议申请已受理), July 24, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_25.html; “Li Hongwei Sent to RTL, Had Sued Over Detention in Jinan Black Jail,” (曾经起诉济南黑监狱的李红卫被劳教), July 11, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_3395.html; “Petitioner Li Hongwei Given 1 Year, 9 Months in RTL,” (孙文广：访民李红卫被劳教1年9个月), July 11, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/19.html; “Third Hearing in Case Brought by Li Hongwei, of Jinan, Against Black Jail” (济南李红卫诉黑监狱一案第三次开庭), November 1, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011012153.shtml
[vi] “Government and Citizens Struggle Over Land, Villager Petitioning Suppressed,” (政府与民争地 村民上访遭打压), July 23, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_1380.html