Zhao Changqing (赵常青)
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Zhao Changqing 赵常青
(released)
Crime: Gathering a crowd to disrupt order of a public place
Length of Punishment: two years and six months
Court: Haidian District People’s Court
Trial Date: April 10, 2014
Sentencing Date: April 18, 2014
Dates of Detention/Arrest: April 18, 2013 (detained); May 24, 2013 (arrested): October 16, 2015 (released)
Place of Incarceration: Beijing No. 3 Detention Center
Indictment: Beijing Municipal Haidian District People’s Procuratorate Indictment (Chinese)
Defence Statement: First-Instance Trial (Chinese)
Appeal Hearing Date: June 27, 2014
Appeal Hearing Court: Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court
Appeal Hearing Ruling: Upheld original sentence
Background
Activist Zhao Changqing (赵常青), originally from Shaanxi Province, has been incarcerated and put under soft detention many times for his longtime political activism. His current detention is part of a nationwide crackdown on civil society that started in late March 2013. Born in 1969, Zhao has been active in pro-democracy and human rights campaigns since he was a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen protests, a role for which he was imprisoned. He was later jailed two more times for his democracy activities (in 1997 and 2002) on charges of “inciting subversion of state power,” for three and five years, respectively. Since his release in 2007, he has devoted himself to promoting civic activism, organizing citizen campaigns on diverse issues—from equal rights to education to anti-corruption efforts—and using the Internet as a platform of action, especially the eJournal and blog “Charter 08.” Zhao’s first trial, held on January 23, 2014, was postponed after Zhao dismissed his lawyers in protest against unfair legal and procedural violations by the Haidian court.
Further Information
Chinese government response on case of Zhao Changqing, August 20, 2014, CHRD
Four New Citizens’ Movement Activists Sentenced in Beijing, April 18, 2014, CHRD
Police Restrict Movements of Activists as Tiananmen Anniversary Nears, May 31, 2013, CHRD