News - Chinese Human Rights DefendersChinese Human Rights Defenders

[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…)

Human Rights Day 2012: Free Liu Xiaobo!

December 7, 2012 Comments Off

On December 10, another international Human Rights Day will be marked in China by the Chinese government’s ongoing violations of human rights. Many Chinese prisoners of conscience languish in jail, including the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Prize laureate, the dissident writer Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波), whose wife Liu Xia (刘霞) has (read more…)

[CHRB] Chen Kegui Sentenced in Apparent Retaliation Against Chen Guangcheng; Petitioner Killed Over Land Grab Conflict; and more (11/29-12/5, 2012)

December 7, 2012 Comments Off

Chen Kegui (陈克贵), the nephew of activist Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), has been given 39 months in prison in what is widely seen as retaliation against his uncle, who fled house arrest in Shandong Province in late April. In closed proceedings on November 30, a court in Yinan County convicted Chen (read more…)

[CHRB] Police Arrest Activist Seeking Transparency on Human Rights Action Plan; Tibetan Students Protest “Patriotic Education”; and more (11/24-11/28, 2012)

November 30, 2012 Comments Off

Hunan activist Peng Lanlan (彭兰岚), who was seized in Beijing and reportedly tortured in August, has been formally arrested on a charge of “obstructing official business.” The charge stems from Peng’s attempt to collect signatures on a petition asking the government to disclose information about implementing the country’s second “National (read more…)

[CHRB] Dissident Poet Li Bifeng Given 12 Years on Concocted Fraud Charge; Outspoken Professor Under House Arrest Since May; and more (11/17-11/23, 2012)

November 25, 2012 Comments Off

On November 19, Sichuan dissident and poet Li Bifeng (李必丰) was given a 12-year sentence—on a seemingly concocted charge of “contract fraud”—after being targeted by authorities who suspect that he helped finance the escape from China last year of dissident writer Liao Yiwu (廖亦武). This marks the third time Li (read more…)

[CHRB] Dissident Zhu Yufu Ill, Deprived of Rights in Prison; Petitioner Beaten to Death Before Party Congress, and more (11/9-11/16, 2012)

November 16, 2012 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing November 9-16, 2012 Contents Arbitrary Detention More Tibetan Monks Sentenced for Alleged Involvement in January Protests Harassment of Activists Anhui Dissident Shen Liangqing Harassed Over “Shuanggui” Report Activists Out of Contact After Being Taken Away by Police Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment (read more…)

[CHRB] Shanghai Activists Detained, Punished Around Party Congress; Tibetan Areas Face Information Blockade, and more (11/3-11/8, 2012)

November 9, 2012 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing November 3-8, 2012 Contents Harassment of Activists Shanghai Authorities Detain, Punish Activists Around Party Congress Freedom of Information Gansu Authorities Impose Information Blockade, Other Restrictions After Self-Immolations Law & Policy Watch Environmental Protests Skyrocketing Every Year, Courts Often Refuse Cases Harassment of Activists Shanghai Authorities (read more…)

[CHRB] Democracy Website Founder Gets 8 Years for Subversion, Rights Abuses Escalate Before Party Congress, and more (10/25-11/2, 2012)

November 2, 2012 Comments Off

In another case of political persecution of free speech, Cao Haibo (曹海波), a manager of an Internet café and organizer of a website that promotes democracy, was given eight years in prison for “subversion against state power” at a closed hearing on October 31. Reportedly, Cao’s alleged “crimes” consisted of (read more…)