News - Chinese Human Rights DefendersChinese Human Rights Defenders

[CHRB] Prominent Chinese Citizens Call for Government to Ratify ICCPR, and more (2/22-28, 2013)

March 1, 2013 Comments Off

An open letter signed by more than 100 prominent Chinese citizens is calling on the government to ratify the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Addressed to the new leaders on the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the letter is drawing attention to free speech and (read more…)

[CHRB] Self-Immolation of Tibetans and in Jiangxi Province; Shanghai Activist Held Incommunicado for 5 Months, and more (February 16-21, 2013)

February 21, 2013 Comments Off

Shanghai human rights activist Wei Qin (魏勤) has been held incommunicado since she was seized in Beijing in late September. Her family, which is very concerned about her health, has not been allowed to visit her, with police claiming that Wei’s case is “under investigation.” A signatory of Charter 08, (read more…)

[CHRB] Uyghur Man Gets 11 Years for “Inciting Splittism”; Disappeared Tibetan Scholar May Be Serving 20-Year Sentence, and more (2/8-15, 2013)

February 15, 2013 Comments Off

A Uyghur man is serving an 11-year sentence for “inciting splittism,” allegedly for translating Chinese-language news related to Kashgar City, in a newly revealed case. In 2009, Mirhemitjan Muzepper (米尔哈米提江•木扎派尔) began serving as a translator for Phoenix TV news but was later taken into custody, and a court found that (read more…)

[CHRB] Chinese Authorities Criminalize Tibetans for “Inciting” Self-Immolations, Hebei Petitioner May Be Permanently Disabled After RTL Term (February 1-7, 2013)

February 8, 2013 Comments Off

In enforcing a new government policy of criminalizing self-immolations by Tibetans, two courts on January 31 sentenced eight Tibetans on charges of “intentional homicide” for their alleged roles in self-immolation protests against Chinese government suppression. The Tibetans were given sentences ranging from three years to a suspended death sentence, which (read more…)

Rule of Law Is Key to Ending All Forms of Extralegal Detention, Including Forced Labor － CHRD Responds to News of Suspension of RTL in Yunnan Province

February 6, 2013 Comments Off

With the news that the provinces of Yunnan and Guangdong are taking steps to end the Re-education through Labor (RTL) system within their jurisdictions, CHRD strongly urges the Chinese government to follow suit at the national level, steer clear from replacing RTL with other kinds of extralegal detention, and to (read more…)

[CHRB] Family Sees Chen Kegui for First Time Since Detention Last April; CHRD Calls for Halt to Execution of Li Yan, and more (January 24-31, 2013)

February 1, 2013 Comments Off

On January 31, the parents and wife of Chen Kegui (陈克贵) were allowed to see him for the first time since he was detained in April 2012. The family members met at Linyi Prison, where Chen is serving a sentence that is widely viewed as retaliation against his uncle, the (read more…)

China’s Supreme Court Must Stop Execution of Li Yan, Alleged Victim of Domestic Violence

January 30, 2013 Comments Off

CHRD joins Chinese lawyers, activists and others in China’s civil society in urging the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) not to issue an execution order following the court’s approval of lower courts’ decisions to sentence to death Li Yan (李彦), an alleged victim of domestic violence. Li killed her husband only (read more…)

[CHRB] Guizhou Activist Tortured During Interrogation; Professor Forcibly Committed to Psychiatric Hospital Vows to Sue, and more (January 12-23, 2013)

January 25, 2013 Comments Off

Guizhou activist Liao Shuangyuan (廖双元), a member of the banned Guizhou Human Rights Forum, was held by police for eight hours on January 10, during which time he was interrogated and subjected to torture. According to his wife, national security officials took Liao in to a local police station and (read more…)

[CHRB] Revised Law in Action: Activist Subjected to Enforced Disappearance; Police Retaliate Against Freedom of Press Supporters, and more (1/4-1/11, 2013)

January 11, 2013 Comments Off

Hunan activist Zhu Chengzhi (朱承志) has been issued six months of “residential surveillance” on a charge of “inciting subversion” and remains held in an undisclosed location, in what may be the first use of Article 73 of the revised Criminal Procedure Law (CPL). The article permits subjecting certain criminal suspects (read more…)

[CHRB] Policeman Gets 14-Year Prison Term for Pro-Democracy Activities; Justice Ministry Bars 1989 Student Leader From Practicing Law, and more (12/21/2012-1/3/2013)

January 3, 2013 Comments Off

A policeman from Shenzhen, Wang Dengchao (王登朝), has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for joining in pro-democracy activities. Wang was arrested in March 2012, just before he was to take part in a rally calling for democratic reforms. After being detained for eight months, Wang was convicted of (read more…)

[CHRB] Activist Sentenced for Exposing Land Rights Abuses; Human Rights Day Characterized by Activism, Suppression (12/14-12/20, 2012)

December 21, 2012 Comments Off

An Inner Mongolia activist, Song Yunfei (宋云飞), was recently given a two-year sentence—a punishment suspended for three years—on an alleged charge of “intentionally leaking state secrets” for revealing information about land grabs by the local government. In late 2011, Song began posting reports online to expose the takeover of land (read more…)

[CHRB] Police Raid Home of Activist Feng Zhengfu; Hubei Activists Sentenced for Defending Land Rights, and more (12/6-12/13, 2012)

December 14, 2012 Comments Off

Shanghai activist Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎) was recently summoned by police for more than 10 hours a day for three straight days, continuing the saga of tight restrictions in place since February, though his house arrest has been lifted. While Feng was questioned, police raided his residence and confiscated property. In (read more…)