Chine: nouveaux actes de torture contre la défenseuse des droits humains Liu Jie

Your Excellency,

I am deeply concerned following new reports that human rights defender Liu Jie has been tortured during her re-education through labour (RTL). Liu Jie has been active in rural communities and has campaigned for political and legal reforms in China. Front Line previously expressed its concerns regarding the treatment of Liu Jie in an urgent action of 18 June 2008. Liu Jie was nominated for the Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk in 2008.

On 15 August 2008, Liu Jie was physically assaulted by a guard whom she had confronted about the ill-treatment of a fellow detainee in Harbin Drug Rehabilitation Centre. As Liu Jie had pushed the guard in self-defence while he was beating her, she was accused of attacking a member of staff. Liu Jie was then made to sit on an apparatus known as a 'Tiger Bench', which forced her to sit upright on a long bench with her hands tied behind her back, her thighs tied to the bench, and her feet raised off the floor by bricks under her feet, thus exerting extreme pressure on her knees and causing great pain. Liu Jie was previously forced to sit on a Tiger Bench for seven consecutive days.

Liu Jie was originally sentenced to 18 months in the RTL camp on 12 November 2007, for “instigating trouble” and “disturbing social order” for her role in organising a public letter signed by 12,150 petitioners in favour of political and legal reforms in China. Since her arrest on 11 October 2007, Liu Jie's health, particularly her eyesight, has deteriorated significantly, reportedly as a result of beatings sustained while in detention, which have exacerbated her poor vision. Following a medical examination on 20 December 2007, doctors stated that Liu Jie would go blind if she did not receive adequate medical treatment. This treatment is reportedly only available in Beijing, but the requests made by Liu Jie and her family to receive it have reportedly not been responded to. In addition to her rapidly deteriorating eyesight, Liu Jie also suffers from Cholecystitis and a heart condition.

I believe that Liu Jie has been targeted as a result of her legitimate work in the defence of human rights, in particular her work to defend the rights of rural communities in China. In light of these reports of renewed torture and her deteriorating health, I am particularly concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Liu Jie.

I call on the authorities in China to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Liu Jie, as I believe that she is being held solely as a result of her legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;

2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the detention of Liu Jie and the accusations that she has been tortured with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

3. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of Liu Jie and ensure that her treatment, while in detention, adheres to all those conditions set out in the ‘Basic Principles for Treatment of Prisoners, adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/111 of 14 December 1990’;

4. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in China are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

I respectfully remind you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals.

I would particularly draw attention to Article 8 (2): “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organizations concerned with public affairs criticism and proposals for improving their functioning and to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may hinder or impede the promotion, protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms“, and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration.”

Yours sincerely,