[CHRB] Tiananmen Anniversary Crackdown: Detainees Deprived of Medicine, More Taken Into Custody (5/9-15, 2014)

May 15, 2014       Comments Off on [CHRB] Tiananmen Anniversary Crackdown: Detainees Deprived of Medicine, More Taken Into Custody (5/9-15, 2014)

China Human Rights Briefing

May 9-15, 2014

Contents

Arbitrary Detention

• Crackdown Around 25th Anniversary of June Fourth
  • Beijing: Detainees Denied Medical Care, Lawyers’ Visits Delayed, Journalist Detained
  • Guangdong: 5 Detained Trying to Monitor Hearing Related to June Fourth Commemoration
  • Zhejiang: China Democracy Party Member Arrested as Another Faces “Residential Surveillance”

• Housing Rights Activist, Petitioner in Henan Criminally Detained

Special Notice

• CHRD Urges UN Experts to Inquire About Violations Against 2 Activists

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Arbitrary Detention

Crackdown Around 25th Anniversary of June Fourth

Beijing: Detainees Denied Medical Care, Lawyers’ Visits Delayed, Journalist Detained

Two detainees in Beijing are not receiving proper medical care for serious health issues, according to lawyers who visited them on May 8 at Beijing No. 1 Detention Center. Human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强) told his attorneys that he is not receiving proper treatment for illnesses for which he needs daily medication. Due to his physical condition, Pu also requested lawyers Zhang Sizhi (张思之) and Qu Zhenhong (屈振红) seek his release on medical grounds. Also, retired scholar Xu Youyu’s (徐友渔) blood pressure is high and he looks frail, and police have not permitted him to take any diabetic medicine that Xu himself brought into detention, according to lawyers Mo Shaoping (莫少平) and Shang Baojun (尚宝军). Depriving detainees of proper medical care—as is often reported with individuals locked up for political reasons—can lead to fatal consequences. Just in mid-March, Beijing activist Cao Shunli (曹顺利) died after not receiving proper treatment for health problems that either worsened or developed during over five months in detention.

In addition, lawyers for detained blogger Liu Di (刘荻) were denied a scheduled visit with her on May 9. Authorities from Beijing No. 1 Detention Center said that she was being arraigned when the attorneys arrived. Lawyers Ma Gangquan (马纲权) and Ding Xikui (丁锡奎) waited for several hours after being told that she was unavailable, and they were advised to come back on May 12 to see her.

In a case seemingly linked to Pu Zhiqiang’s detention, Wu Wei (吴微), who frequently interviewed Pu during her career as a Beijing-based journalist, went out of contact in the capital on May 7 after being taken away by state security officers. It is believed that Wu has been criminally detained. Her most recent weibo post, sent out on the day she went missing, discussed Pu’s case. Wu, now an adviser for the International Center for Communication Development, used to work for the South China Morning Post in the capital.

Pu, Xu, and Liu are among five individuals—including writer Hu Shigen (胡石根) and professor Hao Jian (郝建) as well—who were criminally detained on May 6 on charges of “creating a disturbance” after participating in a seminar about June Fourth (see report). It is becoming increasingly clear that authorities are reacting with particular severity around the 25-year anniversary of the bloody crackdown. Lawyer Mo Shaoping observed that, in 2009, police merely sought out Pu, Liu, and Hu after they took part in a similar activity about June Fourth—and one with more attendees than the recent gathering—but authorities did not take any of the three into custody.

Guangdong: 5 Detained Trying to Monitor Hearing Related to June Fourth Commemoration

Several activists were criminally detained on May 10 after trying to monitor a court trial involving Guangdong activist Li Weiguo (李维国). Li had filed a complaint over his detention and deprivation of assembly rights that occurred last year after he and others had applied to hold a demonstration on June Fourth. Those detained for “creating a disturbance” are Luo Xiangyang (罗向阳), Wu Bin (吴斌, who uses the screen name Youcai Jianghu, 秀才江湖), Xie Wenfei (谢文飞), Yang Chong (杨崇), and Zhang Wanhe (张皖荷). All from Guangdong, they were seized before a hearing of Li’s case against the Haizhu District sub-branch of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, which was held at the Guangzhou City Intermediate People’s Court on May 5. Li was taken into custody by Haizhu police in late May of 2013 and then served a 15-day administrative detention. A lower court heard Li’s case in January and upheld the original punishment, finding it legally justified.

Zhejiang: China Democracy Party Member Arrested as Another Faces “Residential Surveillance”

China Democracy Party member Xu Guang (徐光) was formally arrested in Zhejiang Province on May 9 after allegedly planning a hunger strike to commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre. Xu, a participant in the 1989 pro-democracy movement, has been charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” and was criminally detained on April 3. Environmental activist Tan Kai (谭凯), also a member of the China Democracy Party in Zhejiang, who was detained at same time as Xu, has been released but reportedly placed under “residential surveillance.”

Housing Rights Activist, Petitioner in Henan Criminally Detained

Henan activist Jia Lingmin (贾灵敏) was criminally detained on suspicion of “gathering a crowd to disrupt social order” on May 8 after trying to aid demolition victims in Zhengzhou and photographing plainclothes police. As housing was being toppled in Gaoxin District on May 7, Jia approached a police vehicle in the hope that officers may intervene on behalf of those losing their homes. However, she saw that the men inside lacked clear police identification. Jia began to photograph them—as evidence that they were plainclothes police—but her cell phone was snatched away, and she was pushed into the vehicle and taken to a police station. After being denied access to her, Jia’s lawyers were finally able to meet Jia on May 14 at Zhengzhou City No. 3 Detention Center. Frequently harassed by authorities, Jia Lingmin has fought for the rights of individuals who, like herself, have had their homes forcibly demolished. She has actively shared information online about rights related to demolitions as well as how to monitor police behavior.

Liu Diwei (刘地伟), a petitioner who has learned about advocacy from Jia, also was recently put under criminal detention, supposedly for informing on activities of the Chinese Communist Party Committee secretary of Zhengzhou. Charged with “gathering a crowd to disrupt social order,” Liu is being held at Xingyang City Detention Center.[4]

Special Notice

CHRD Urges UN Experts to Inquire About Violations Against 2 Activists

CHRD sent information on two individuals—human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi (丁家喜) and petitioner-activist Ge Zhihui (葛志慧)—to UN independent experts in April, alleging arbitrary detention, torture, reprisals against human rights defenders, and other violations.

The Beijing-based Ding, who has taken part in the “New Citizens’ Movement,” was sentenced to three-and-a-half-year in prison on April 18, 2014. He was convicted of “gathering a crowd to disrupt order of a public place” in apparent retaliation for publicly calling for top Chinese leaders to reveal their personal wealth in the spring of 2013, when he was detained (see case information). Ding Jiaxi has represented persecuted human rights defenders, religious practitioners, and others in politically “sensitive” cases. Since 2010, he has joined others pushing for the right of migrant workers’ children to attend schools where they are currently living rather than having to return to the areas of their household registration, as dictated by current policies in China.

Ge Zhihui was seized by Beijing police on March 1, 2014, and then held for about two months. She was tortured and subjected to other mistreatment in detention and also deprived of visits from her lawyer and family. Authorities interrogated Ge about her participation in a UN human rights mechanism training that CHRD co-organized in Asia with the NGO International Service for Human Rights. Ge had previously been detained many times for petitioning for compensation over the violent demolition of her home. She attempted suicide to protest the loss of the residence, suffering crippling injuries that now require her to use crutches to get around. (Ge was released in early May, shortly after CHRD submitted the communiqué.)

Contacts:

Renee Xia, International Director, +1 240 374 8937, reneexia@chrdnet.com

Victor Clemens, Research Coordinator, +852 8192 7875, victorclemens@chrdnet.com

Follow us on Twitter:@CHRDnet

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[1]“Two Beijing-based Journalists With Close Ties to Pu Zhiqiang Taken Away by State Security” (與浦志強相熟兩駐京記者傳被國安帶走), May 13, 2014, thehousenews.com.

[2] “Lawyers Ma Gangquan, Ding Xikui Unable to Visit Liu Di on Friday” (马纲权和丁锡奎律师周五未能会见到刘荻), May 10, 2014, WQW.

[3] “Several Guangdong Activists Criminally Detained, China Democracy Party Member, Xu Guang of Zhejiang, Arrested”（广东多名维权人士遭刑拘，浙江民主党人徐光被批捕）， May 10， 2014， WQW.

[4]“Urgent Attention: Zhengzhou, Henan Activist Jia Lingmin Criminally Detained For Helping Report Demolitions to Police” (紧急关注：河南郑州维权人士贾灵敏因帮助报警被刑拘), May 8, 2014, WQW; “Human rights defender Jia Lingmin Criminally Detained, Unable to Meet With Lawyer, Husband’s Appeal Rejected by Procuratorate” (人权捍卫者贾灵敏被刑拘无法会见律师，丈夫阎崇民向检察院提起控告被拒)， May 13， 2014， WQW; “Jia Lingmin, Liu Diwei Changed Names Upon Being Seized, Large Numbers Express Their Support in Front of Detention Centers”(贾灵敏、刘地伟被改名羁押，各地公民看守所前声援), May 14, 2014, WQW.