On 10 August 2011, human rights defender Mr Ran Yunfei was released from police custody following six months in detention. He has been placed under “residential surveillance”at his home in Chengdu, Sichuan Province for a further six-month period, during which time he will not be allowed leave the house or meet people without obtaining police permission.

Further Information

Ran Yunfei was detained in February 2011, along with a number of other human rights defenders in a widespread Government crackdown, in response to anonymous online calls for a “Jasmine Revolution” in China. On 25 March 2011, Ran Yunfei was charged with “inciting subversion of state power” however his case was later returned to the police by the prosecutors.

Ran Yunfei is a magazine editor and an active blogger, social critic and freedom of speech advocate, who has a large online following. For over a decade he has written about various social issues facing China and has promoted the application of the rule of law and democratic reform. Ran Yunfei was also one of the original 303 signatories of Charter 08, a manifesto signed by a number of human rights defenders on the 60 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calling for greater respect for human rights in China.

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