[CHRB] Uyghurs Harshly Punished on Political Charges (3/21-27, 2013)

China Human Rights Briefing

March 21-27, 2013

Contents

Arbitrary Detention

• 20 Uyghurs Harshly Sentenced for “Inciting Splittism”

Death Penalty

• Chinese NGO Publishes 2012 Report on Capital Punishment in China

Special Notice

• CHRD Makes Submissions to UN on Behalf of Chinese Activists

Arbitrary Detention

20 Uyghurs Harshly Sentenced for “Inciting Splittism”

On March 26, two courts in Xinjiang sentenced 20 Uyghurs to prison on charges of “inciting splittism,” handing down four life sentences and 16 other punishments ranging from 5 to 15 years. Reportedly, the courts found that the Uyghurs allegedly “used the Internet, cellphones, and electronic storage media to organize, lead, and participate in a terrorist organization” and had thus “created disturbances and incited splittism.” The sentences are being viewed as part of ongoing repression by Chinese authorities against any sign of ethnic unrest in Xinjiang. It has been reported that the accused Uyghurs had only listened to foreign radio broadcasts and gone online to discuss religious and cultural freedom.[1]

Death Penalty

Chinese NGO Publishes 2012 Report on Capital Punishment in China

China Against Death Penalty, a Chinese NGO, has released its 2012 report on the use of the capital punishment in China. The report analyzes death penalty laws and also deficiencies in legal and judicial systems that have led to flaws in implementing the death penalty in the country. Produced with the assistance of the Rights Defense Network, the Chinese-language report delves into the process of reviewing death sentences in China and discusses many prominent death penalty cases. The report also examines the potential influence, however limited, of the revised Criminal Procedural Law on how the death penalty is used.[2]

Special Notice

CHRD Makes Submissions to UN on Behalf of Chinese Activists

CHRD recently submitted three allegation letters to UN Special Procedures on behalf of Chinese activists who have been subjected to a range of rights violations. On March 15, CHRD submitted allegations of torture and other mistreatment against activist Hu Jia (胡佳), who was beaten during a lengthy interrogation the day before. CHRD also submitted communiqués to the UN alleging arbitrary detention and other violations of Hunan activist Zhu Chengzhi (朱承志), who was arrested last summer for refusing to stop questioning the suspicious death of labor activist Li Wangyang (李旺阳), and Shanghai activist Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎), who was held under house arrest at his residence for much of 2012.

Edited by Ann Song and Victor Clemens

[1] “20 Uyghurs Sentenced for ‘Inciting Splittism’ for Using Internet, Cellphones” (又有20名维吾尔人被控利用互联网、手机等分裂国家被判刑)，March 27, 2013，uighurbiz.net

[2] “China Death Penalty Report (I)” (中国死刑观察报告（上）) , March 22, 2013, WQW; “China Death Penalty Report (II)” (中国死刑观察报告（下）) , March 22, 2013, WQW