China Human Rights Briefing February 9-14, 2011

Highlights

• After Video Detailing House Arrest is Released, Police Beat Chen Guangcheng and Wife: CHRD learned this week that human rights defender Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚) and his wife Yuan Weijing (袁伟静) were beaten by police after a video the couple recorded detailing their lives under house arrest was posted to the internet. A reliable source called the beating “not light,” but also not life-threatening; further details remain unavailable as of the time of writing.
• Young AIDS Activist, Detained since August 2010, Sentenced to One Year in Prison: Twenty-three year-old AIDS activist Tian Xi (田喜) was sentenced to one year in prison this week by the   Xincai County Court in Zhumadian City, Henan Province. Tian was detained in August 2010 and charged with “intentional destruction of property” following a dispute with the director of the hospital where he contracted AIDS as a young boy following a tainted blood transfusion. 

Contents

• Arbitrary Detention
  • Chen Guangcheng and Wife Beaten by Police in Retaliation for Video
  • AIDS Activist Tian Xi Sentenced to One Year in Prison
  • Hubei Activist Yao Lifa Seized at His Home, Whereabouts Unknown
  • Officials in Sichuan Seek to Delay Hearing for Detained Activist Liu Xianbin
  • Zhejiang Dissident Placed under Soft Detention to Prevent Gathering to Celebrate Mubarak’s Ouster
• Freedom of Assembly
  • Police in Anhui Summon Netizens, Break up Gathering with Beijing Activist Butcher
• Harassment of Activists
  • Beijing Activist Ni Yulan Visited by US Ambassador as Police Harassment Continues

ArbitraryDetentionChen Guangchengand Wife Beaten byPolice in Retaliation for Video CHRD learned onFebruary10 that human rights defender Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚) and his wife YuanWeijing (袁伟静) werebeaten by National Security officers from Linyi Cityand police from ShuanghouTown at their home in Yinan County, Shandong Province,in the evening ofFebruary 8. According to a reliable source, thebeating was “not light” but notlife-threatening either, but Chen and Yuan are beingprevented from going to ahospital for treatment. It is believed that thebeating is related to avideotape, recorded by Chen and his family and laterreleased internationallyby the group China Aid, which details the illegalhouse arrest to which theyhave been subjected after Chen was released fromprison in September 2010.Further details regarding Chen and Yuan's conditionare not currentlyavailable. (CHRD)[i]AIDS Activist TianXi Sentenced to OneYear in PrisonOn February 11, theXincai County Court in ZhumadianCity, Henan Province, sentenced AIDS activist Tian Xi(田喜)to one year in prison for "intentional destruction ofproperty."Liang Xiaojun (梁小军), Tian's lawyer,reported that Tian appeared veryphysically weak in court, but that he was in goodspirits.  Tian, who is23 years old, contracted AIDS as a boy as the resultof a tainted bloodtransfusion at Number One People’s Hospital in XincaiCounty. He was detainedin August 2010 after an argument with the director ofthe government hospital,and was tried on September 21, 2010. Prior to hisarrest, Tian was working todefend the rights of AIDS patients in Beijing. (CHRD)[ii]Hubei Activist YaoLifa Seized at HisHome, Whereabouts UnknownOn the evening ofFebruary 12, Qianjiang City humanrights defender Yao Lifa (姚立法) was seized at hishome by teachers from the school where he is employedand forced into a waitingvehicle. He was then driven away; his currentwhereabouts are unknown. It isbelieved that Yao's "disappearance" is related toupcoming electionsof the People's Congress and the People's PoliticalConsultative Conference atthe county and township levels across China. Yao, anelections expert, has beenactively organizing independent candidates andobservers to run for and monitorthese elections. Yao was most recently “disappeared”for a period of two daysat the beginning of February 2011. This is the fifthtime he has gone missingsince October 2010. (CHRD)[iii]Officials inSichuan Seek to DelayHearing for Detained Activist Liu XianbinCHRD has learned thatthe Sichuan Provincial Bureauof Justice contacted Wang Wei (王伟), lawyer fordissidentand activist Liu Xianbin (刘贤斌), shortly beforeSpring Festival to request that Wang apply to defer acourt hearing for Liu'scase. Wang reportedly rejected the government'srequest. According to relevantregulations, a hearing must soon be held for Liu, whohas been detained sinceJune 28, 2010, and charged with "inciting subversionof state power."He remains in Suining City Detention Center in SichuanProvince. Liu originallyhired human rights lawyers Ma Xiaopeng (马小鹏)and Mo Shaoping (莫少平) as his lawyers, butthe authorities have barredhis access to them since mid-November, while forcing athird lawyer believed tobe more susceptible to government pressure, Wang Wei,to take over as Liu’slawyer. (CHRD)[iv]Zhejiang DissidentPlaced under SoftDetention to Prevent Gathering to CelebrateMubarak’s Ouster CHRD has learned thatZhejiang-based dissident WeiShuishan (魏水山) has been held under"soft detention" ina Hangzhou City hotel since the morning of February12. Wei had planned to meetwith friends in Hangzhou on February 12 to celebratethe news that protestorsin Egypt had succeeded in ousting President Mubarak.He is reportedly beingguarded by three National Security officers and twosecurity guards. A numberof other activists and dissidents who had planned toattend the gathering alongwith Wei were similarly placed under "soft detention"or summoned forquestioning on that day. (CHRD)[v]Freedom ofAssemblyPolice in AnhuiSummon Netizens, Breakup Gathering with Beijing Activist ButcherOn February 10,well-known Beijing-based humanrights activist "Butcher" (real name: Wu Gan [吴淦])was seized by police after traveling to Bangbu City,Anhui Province, to meetwith local netizens. Anhui Province-based netizens WuLebao (吴乐宝),Zhang Lin (张林), and Qian Jin (钱进)were also briefly detained by police. Police summonedthe four for questioning,claiming they were suspected of taking part in "anillegal pyramidscheme." Wu, Zhang, and Qian were released afterapproximately six hours,while Butcher was released later that evening. (CHRD)[vi]Harassment ofActivistsBeijing ActivistNi Yulan Visited by USAmbassador as Police Harassment ContinuesOn February 11,UnitedStates Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman visited withBeijing-based activist andformer lawyer Ni Yulan (倪玉兰) in the hotel roomwhere she and her husband are currently living.February 11 marked the 54th daywithout electricity for the couple in theirYuxingong Guesthouse room, wherepolice have pressured hotel management to turn offthe internet and water intermittentlyas well in an attempt to force Ni and her husbandout. Ni was sentenced to twoyears’ imprisonment in 2008 for resisting the forceddemolition of her home;since her release from prison on April 15, 2010, Niand her husband have beenforced to live on the street or in guesthousesbecause their home was forciblydemolished. (CHRD)[vii]CHRD is Hiring! CHRDis currently seeking a full-time Research Associate.For more information,please see the full job notice on our website at http://chrdnet.org/2011/02/04/chrd-is-hiring/Editors: David Smalls and Lin Sang Follow us on Twitter:  @CHRDnetNewsupdates from CHRD

[i]"Special Alert: Chen Guangcheng and Wife Beaten byPolice; Unable to Getout of Bed" (特别快讯：陈光诚夫 妇被国保及警察殴打致伤无法下床), February 10, 2011, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102101722.shtml

[ii]"AIDS Activist Tian Xi Sentenced to One Year inPrison" (艾滋病维权人士田喜 被判刑一年),February 12, 2011, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102120112.shtml

[iii]"Elections Expert Yao Lifa Taken Away from His Home;WhereaboutsUnknown" (选举专家姚立法被从 家中强制带走不知去向), February 12, 2011, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102122331.shtml

[iv]"Court Requests Lawyers for Liu Xianbin Apply forDeferral ofHearing" (法院要求律师主动申 请刘贤斌案延期开庭), February 13, 2011, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102132038.shtml

[v]"Hangzhou Dissident Wei Shuishan Detained More than30 Hours" (杭州异议人士魏水山 被关押超过30个小时),February 13, 2011, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102132238.shtml

[vi]"Human Rights Activist Butcher Summoned for 'IllegalPyramid Scheme' inQufu City" (维权人士屠夫在蚌埠 被以“非法传销”传唤),February 10, 2011, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102102336.shtml

[vii]"Human Rights Lawyer Ni Yulan Without Electricityfor 54th Day; USAmbassador Huntsman Visits" (维权律师倪玉兰被断 电54天 美国驻华大 使洪博培看望), February 12,2011, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102121354.shtml