China Human Rights Briefing July 13-19, 2011

Highlights

• Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown: CHRD has learned the case against Wang Lihong (王荔蕻), the Beijing-based activist charged with “gathering a crowd to disrupt traffic order,” will be transferred to a court this week, and trial proceedings are likely to begin in August.

• Activist Yao Lifa Disappeared for Almost One Month, Home Repeatedly Searched, Wife Threatened: On July 13, the home of democracy activist Yao Lifa (姚立法), who has been missing for nearly a month, was searched for the fifth time, and his wife continues to be threatened as she tries to find out from authorities what has happened to Yao.

Contents ArbitraryDetention

• Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to the “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown
• Police Raid Home of Anhui Activist, Issue Administrative Detention
• Guangdong Petitioner Held Over Four Months in Black Jail

Harassmentof Activists

• Environmentalist “On the Run” From Police, Has Home Raided, Property Confiscated

Harassmentof Human Rights Lawyers

• Police Prevent Lawyer From Meeting Suspect in Guangxi Beating Death Case

Harassmentof Activists’ Family Members

• Home of Missing Activist Yao Lifa Searched for Fifth Time, Wife Threatened as Authorities Evade Inquiries

Arbitrary Detention Updates on Detentions and DisappearancesRelated to the “Jasmine Revolution” CrackdownWang Lihong Case Going to Trial  CHRD has learned that the case against WangLihong (王荔蕻), the Beijing-basedactivist charged with “gathering a crowd to disrupttraffic order,” will be transferred to a court laterthis week. Her lawyer, Han Yicun (韩一村),has indicated that on July 15 he called theprocuratorate, which told him the decision had beenmade to prosecute the case. The court will sooncontact the involved parties and the attorneys, andtrial proceeding are likely to begin in August. Manyindividuals are reportedly willing to testify toWang’s innocence in the case, which stems from herparticipation in a peaceful protest at the sentencinghearing in April 2010 of three detained Fujianactivists prosecuted for online postings calling forinvestigation of suspected police corruption.Currently held in the Chaoyang DistrictDetention Center, Wang Lihong, 56, was criminallydetained for “creating a disturbance” on March 21 ofthis year during the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdownand formally arrested on April 21, but the chargeagainst her was later changed to “assembling a crowdto disrupt traffic order.” In May, her two lawyers, LiuXiaoyuan (刘晓原) and Han Yicun, applied for herrelease on bail, but the request was rejected, and thecase was then transferred to the procuratorate forreview on June 18. (CHRD)[i] Zhu Yufu’s Wife Applies for Bail for IllHusband On July 12, Jiang Hangli (蒋杭莉), wife of Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫), a Hangzhou-based democracy activistwho was formally arrested on April 11, submitted anapplication to the Hangzhou Municipal Procuratorateseeking bail (取保候审) for her husband due tohis poor health. Zhu’s case is currently with theprocuratorate, which is reviewing the case todetermine if it should proceed to trial. Zhu, who isbeing held at the Shangcheng District Detention Center,suffers from a variety of illnesses, includinghypertension, high cholesterol, gallstones, and otherhealth problems.Zhu Yufu was taken away by police on March 5as part of the “Jasmine Revolution” crackdown. He wascriminally detained and later arrested on suspicion of“inciting subversion of state power” (煽动颠覆国家政权罪). Zhuhas served a total of nine years in prison followingconvictions in 1999 for “subversion of state power”(颠覆国家政权罪), and in 2007 for “beating police anddisrupting public duty.” (CHRD)[ii] Authorities Again Block Lawyer fromMeeting Ding Mao On July 8, Ran Tong (冉彤), the attorney defending Sichuanrights activist Ding Mao (丁茅) against a charge of “incitingsubversion of state power,” was again prevented byMianyang authorities from meeting with Ding in theMianyang Municipal Detention Center. This isreportedly the second time Ran has been unable to seehis client, with authorities using various excuses toprevent the meetings. Ding’s wife, Feng Xia (冯霞), has also had difficultycommunicating with Ding and obtaining informationabout him, but did recently learn from theprocuratorate that his case had been sent back to thepublic security bureau for further investigation.Ding Mao was seized from his home onFebruary 19 and criminally detained the next day bypolice in Mianyang on suspicion of “incitingsubversion of state power.” Ding was a student leaderduring the 1989 pro-democracy protests and was twiceimprisoned, first in 1989 and again in 1992. He hasspent more than a total of 10 years in various formsof incarceration because of his activism. (CHRD)[iii]Police Raid Home of Anhui Activist, IssueAdministrative Detention Democracy rights activist Wu Yuebao (吴乐宝), from Bengbu City, Anhui Province,is believed to be serving 10 days of administrativedetention since he was taken away on July 14. Whenfellow activists recently could not reach Wu, LiWenge (李文革) rushed to his homeon July 18 and spoke to Wu’s father. Li learned thatWu was taken away four days earlier, when hisresidence was searched and several items confiscated,including a computer. His family has requested adetention notice, but police have only said that Wuhimself has the documentation. Forbidden from seeingWu, the family also does not know what charge wasfiled against Wu but said police have mentioned thatit relates to state secrets.Wu Yuebao, 28, graduated from HarbinEngineering University and has taught at the BengbuInstitute of Electronics. Since the “JasmineRevolution” crackdown began, he has been summonednumerous times by police for being active on Twitter.(CHRD)[iv]Guangdong Petitioner HeldOver Four Months in Black Jail Yang Yamei (杨亚美), a petitioner fromShaoguan City, Guangdong Province, has now beenillegally detained in a black jail for more than 120days. On March 5, 2011, Yang was petitioning to theState Bureau for Letters and Visits in Beijing wheninterceptors from Guangdong forcibly returned her toher home province, and she has been detained eversince at a land use monitoring base in WujiangDistrict in Xilian Town. During this time, authoritieshad also detained her husband, He Mingzheng (何明政), for 54 days, but he was releasedafter suffering a heart attack. He later called thelocal public security bureau and procuratorate abouthis wife’s detention, but they refused to take up thematter. He then contacted the president of the WujiangDistrict Court, who sent two court vice presidents toXilian; they told Xilian’s mayor to immediatelyrelease Yang, but he refused and said the matter wasnot under the court’s jurisdiction. Yang and He began to petition locally in2006 over a land requisition issue that they allegeinvolved official corruption. With their grievanceunresolved, the couple went to Beijing in March 2007to petition at the State Bureau for Letters andVisits. Central authorities subsequently sent thecomplaint back to the Guangdong Bureau of Letters andVisits, and the Xilian government has retaliatedagainst the couple by detaining them numerous times ina black jail. (CHRD)[v]Harassment of Activists Environmentalist “On the Run” From Police,Has Home Raided, Property Confiscated On July 13, national securityofficers raided homes in Pingnan County, FujianProvince and tried to arrest Zhang Changjian (张长建), an environmentalistand head of the group “Pingnan Green Homes” (屏南绿色之家), suspecting him of “illegal activities inthe name of a social group” (非法以社团名义活动).Zhang was not present at the time of the raids and subsequently wentmissing, and police confiscated a large number ofitems. There was no information about Zhang from thatday until July 19, when a message was sent to friends(still unconfirmed to be from Zhang) saying he hasbeen on the run from authorities, but his whereaboutswere not disclosed.  More than 20 officers from the Pingan CountyPublic Security Bureau (PSB) on July 13 entered thehome of Zhang’s friend, Zhou Rongqinq (周蓉青),on the grounds that a legal literacy program forfarmers scheduled for July 18 and 19 constituted“illegal social-group activities.” They took Zhou tothe Pingnan PSB, where officers asked about fundingfor the training and its organizers. Officers warnedZhou that only a justice bureau, and not citizens, canlegally sponsor programs that popularize legalliteracy. That evening, officers searched Zhang’s homefor six hours. Through the two searches, officersconfiscated several dozen items, including Zhang’scomputer and digital camera, materials on legalliteracy, funds for making energy-saving stoves,receipts for stoves, cooperative ecological businesslicense, tax registration certificate, and the group’sseal. On the evening of July 14, officers called infive of the legal literacy training participants andhad them submit written records about the training atthe Chengguan Police Station. (Human Rights Campaignin China)[vi]Harassment of Human Rights Lawyers Police Prevent Lawyer From Meeting Suspectin Guangxi Beating Death CaseOnthe morning of July 11, Fang Ligang (房立刚), a lawyer from Baoji City, ShaanxiProvince, was prevented by court and public securityofficers from meeting Pei Rihong (裴日红), who is being held in the BeihaiMunicipal Detention Center in Beihai City, GuangxiProvince, on suspicion of “intentional injury” for abeating death that occurred in November 2009. Thereason given was that Fang had not “reported” hisrepresentation of Pei to the Beihai MunicipalIntermediate People’s Court. Three plainclothes policeofficers forcibly removed Fang from the attorneyvisitation room in the detention center and took himto the court to check his identity card and confirmhis status as a lawyer. Fang attempted to see Pei thenext morning, but a group of officers again preventedthe meeting, and insulted Fang and repeatedly searchedhim in a screening room.Fang is among a group of lawyers who havecome together to support the defense of individualsaccused in the November 2009 beating death case inBeihai after four previous defense lawyers weredetained in June of this year. Of those fourattorneys, the arrest of Yang Zaixin (杨在新) onsuspicion of “obstructing testimony” was approved bythe procuratorate on June 29, while the other threewere released on bail a day earlier. (CHRD)[vii]Harassment of Activists’ Family MembersHome of Missing Activist Yao Lifa Searchedfor Fifth Time, Wife Threatened as Authorities EvadeInquiries In the early morning of July 13, the home ofelections expert Yao Lifa (姚立法), who has been missing since June 20,was illegally searched by personnel from the schoolwhere Yao works. This was the fifth time in recentweeks that his home, located in Qianjiang City, HubeiProvince, has been searched. The school officials alsothreatened Yao’s wife, Feng Ling (冯玲), who has continued to askauthorities for information about Yao, but withoutsuccess.  The principal of the school, Wang Qian (汪潜), and two teachers forced their wayinto Yao’s home on July 13. The teachers carried outthe unlawful search, and eventually took away five orsix boxes of materials, most of which related toelections. While the teachers searched, Wang told Fengthat Yao was taken away on June 20 to “study” duringthe school’s summer vacation but claimed Yao then leftthe “class” without permission. Wang said that Yaomust immediately return to his work at the school, orhe will be considered absent without leave and will bedealt with accordingly. When Feng tried to stop theteachers from taking Yao’s property, the three menforced Feng into a surveillance vehicle and threatenedto beat her, but she was let go after onlookerscriticized their conduct. Feng later went to theYuanlin Police Station to report the incident, but thestation personnel on duty told her the matter was nottheir responsibility.    Two days earlier, on July 11, Feng had gonewith a lawyer to the Qianjiang Public Security Bureauto ask the bureau chief about the whereabouts of herhusband. She was told the chief was not in and advisedto go to the Yuanlin Police Station to speak to thepolice. Feng then reported Yao missing at the policestation, but an officer stated Yao’s situation did notconstitute a missing-person case. The policeeventually said they would help look for Yao but didnot provide Feng a written record of the discussion.(CHRD)[viii] Editors of this issue:Victor Clemens and Renee Xia  Follow us on Twitter: @CHRDnet Join us on Facebook: CHRDnet (NEW!)News updates from CHRD [i] “Case Against WangLihong Going to Court, Many Willing to Testify,” (王荔蕻案将移送法院，多人愿为其出庭作证), July 17, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_17.html; “Wang Lihong CaseTransferred to Procuratorate, Attorneys DiscussPossible Outcomes,” (王荔蕻案移交检察院，律师谈可能出现的结果), July 11, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_2107.html?spref=tw; “Wang Lihong’s LawyerApplies for Her Release on Bail to Await Trial, isRejected” (王荔蕻的律师为其申请取保候审被拒), May 20, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_7307.html  [ii] “Family Submits BailApplication for Zhu Yufu, Case Under Review forProsecution” (陈树庆：传朱虞夫被审查起诉，家属提出取保候审申请), July 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_1717.html; “Hangzhou DemocracyActivist Zhu Yufu Formally Arrested” (杭州民主党人朱 虞夫被批准逮捕), April 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post_3408.html   [iii] “Lawyer Again Blockedfrom Meeting Ding Mao,” (律师会见丁茅再次受阻), July 14, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_1393.html; “Police Block Lawyerfrom Meeting with Mianyang Democracy Activist DingMao” (警方阻止律师会见绵阳 民主维权人士丁茅),April 9, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post_5589.html “IndividualsAffected by the Crackdown Following Call for‘Jasmine Revolution,’” July 17, 2011 (updated), http://chrdnet.org/2011/06/17/jasmine_crackdown/   [iv] “Urgent Alert: BengbuDemocracy Rights Activist Wu Yuebao Has HomeSearched, 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   [v] “Petitioner Yang YameiHeld Over 100 Days in Black Jail,” (访民杨亚美被关黑监狱一百余天未获释), July 14, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_3829.html  [vi]“Zhang Changjian: I’ve BeenForced To Go On The Run,” (张长建：我被逼走上逃亡生涯),July 19, 2011, http://rightscampaign.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_19.html;“Civil Environmental Activist Zhang Changjian HasHouse Searched, Goes Missing For PopularizingLegal Literacy,” (民间环保卫士张长建因普法家被抄人被失 踪),July 15, 2011, http://rightscampaign.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_64.html  [vii] “Officers Harass,Insult Fang Ligang, Member of Beihai LawyersGroup, During Detention Center Visit,” (北海律师团成员房立刚 律师看守所会见受警察刁难侮辱), July 12, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post_5161.html  [viii] “Elections Expert YaoLifa Missing for 24 Days, Wife Talked To As HomeSearched Again,” (选举专家姚立法失踪24天，妻子被谈话家中再次被查抄), July 13, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/07/24.html