Zhang Qi Released After Four Years; Cao Haibo Tried in Closed-Door Hearing

2012-05-23

On May 15, 2012, reform advocate Zhang Qi (张起) was released from the Yuzhou Prison, Chongqing, after serving a four-year term for "inciting subversion of state power.” On May 22, the Kunming Intermediate People’s Court, Yunnan Province, tried Cao Haibo (曹海波), another reform advocate, in a closed-door hearing on the same charge. The court did not issue a verdict.

Chen Guangcheng and Family Arrive in the United States

HRIC Bulletin
2012-05-19

Blind legal advocate Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), his wife Yuan Weijing (袁伟静), and their two children arrived safely tonight in the United States. They were met at the Newark International Airport by representatives of the U.S. State Department and New York University, as well as China law expert Professor Jerome A. Cohen, a long-time friend of Chen’s and co-director of NYU’s U.S.-China Law Institute, where Chen will be a visiting fellow. HRIC warmly welcomes Chen and his family and wishes them a peaceful and productive stay.

“Who Rescued Chen Guangcheng?” an HRIC Translation

2012-05-17

On May 17, 2012, the Hong Kong-based online journal iSUN AFFAIRS published the article “Who Rescued Chen Guangcheng?” It gives a detailed account of the escape of the blind legal advocate who later sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The article states that the account is based on interviews with Chen Guangcheng, his family members, and villagers.

Evictee in Guangdong Jumps to Her Death, Villagers Vow to Fight Demolition

2012-05-11

An informed source told HRIC that Li Jie’e (李洁娥), a resident of Yangji Village, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, jumped to her death on May 9, 2012, after her home was demolished in March this year as part of a land requisition by local authorities. The police removed her body and detained several people. Villagers resisting the forced removal and eviction say that they are prepared to fight to the death to defend their homes.

Activist Accused of Inciting Subversion of State Power for Distributing Leaflets

HRIC Bulletin
2012-05-09

HRIC has learned that You Minglei (游明磊), a bank employee in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, has been taken into police custody on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” after distributing political leaflets. He is being held at Nanchang Municipal No. 2 Detention Center.

Chen Guangcheng’s Escape Highlights the Bankruptcy of Beijing’s Stability Maintenance Model

HRIC Commentary
2012-04-28

18th Party Congress Watch (9)

Gao Wenqian, HRIC Senior Policy Advisor

This has been an eventful year for China—great shows one after another. The Bo Xilai affair has yet to wind down when blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng managed to escape right under the authorities’ watch. Chen even used a video to ask Premier Wen Jiabao for three things: 1) punish, in accordance with the law, those who had committed crimes against him and his family, 2) ensure the safety of his family, and 3) thoroughly investigate corruption involving funds for stability maintenance. Like a single stone causing a thousand ripples, the incident has attracted close attention from Chinese civil society and the international media and will have a huge political impact in China.

Chen Guangcheng Reported Safe; His Brother and Nephew Taken Away by Police

Case Update
2012-04-27

A source knowledgeable about the blind rights defense lawyer Chen Guangcheng’s (陈光诚) escape from his captors told Human Rights in China (HRIC) that Chen is safe but does not want to leave China.

Blind Lawyer Chen Guangcheng Reported Missing, Brother Taken Away, Nephew Fears for His Own Life

Case Update
2012-04-26

According to Chen Kegui (陈克贵), a nephew of blind rights defense lawyer Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), who has been under house arrest since September 2010, is now missing from his home. Chen Kegui also told Human Rights in China (HRIC) that Chen Guangfu (陈光福) – Chen Kegui’s father and Chen Guangcheng’s older brother – had been taken away sometime in the late evening of April 26. He does not know who took his father as he did not witness it occur.

Hu Jintao Intends No Fresh Start in Bringing Down Bo Xilai

HRIC Commentary
2012-04-20

18th Party Congress Watch (7)

Gao Wenqian, HRIC Senior Policy Advisor

After nearly a month of silence, the Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao administration finally made its move: it announced that Bo Xilai was suspected of “serious disciplinary violations,” was suspended from the Politburo and Central Committee, and is under investigation. An episode of the great drama of power struggle in the Party’s high echelon in advance of the 18th Party Congress has come to an end. These days, the political situation in Beijing is volatile, with all kind of rumors flying around. Not only are the people talking about it—official media of different backgrounds have also joined the fray, releasing different, conflicting information, with public opinion spiraling out of control. Those of us who lived through the Cultural Revolution naturally think of the summer before the fall of the Gang of Four.

Ni Yulan Appeals Conviction; U.S. and EU Call for Her Release

Case Update
2012-04-17

On April 13, disabled rights advocate Ni Yulan (倪玉兰) submitted an appeal to Beijing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court challenging her conviction and prison sentence by a lower court. On April 10, the Xicheng District People’s Court of Beijing found Ni guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” (寻衅滋事) and “fraud” (诈骗), and ordered her to serve two years and eight months in prison and pay a fine of 1,000 yuan ($159) The court also convicted her husband, Dong Jiqin (董继勤), of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” and sentenced him to two years in prison. The verdict was issued more than three months after the court accepted the case in December 2011, exceeding the one-month-and-a-half maximum period allowed by law.