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China: Update - Gao Zhisheng's relatives denied permission to visit himposted on: 2012/01/11

Further to the Urgent Appeal dated 16 December 2011, Front Line Defenders has received the following information regarding human rights defender Mr Gao Zhisheng.

Brussels: Statement by the spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton on the sentencing of human rights activists in Chinaposted on: 2012/01/04

The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today.

China: New Front Line Defenders Action for Chen Guangchengposted on: 2011/12/26

Front Line Defenders launches 'Caged Bird' - animated video highlighting the illegal detention of Chinese HRD Chen Guangheng.

Visit www.lighthonestyhrd.org for more information and to take action.

Brussels: EU High Representative Ashton calls for release of Gao Zhishengposted on: 2011/12/22

The EU's High representative Catherine Ashton calls for the immediate release of imprisoned human rights defender Gao Zhisheng, who is being held in secret detention, and for information about his well-being and location.

China: Update - Human rights defender Ms Wang Lihong released after completion of prison sentenceposted on: 2011/12/20

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued on 9 September 2011, Front Line Defenders has received the following information regarding human rights defender Ms Wang Lihong.

President of the European Parliament Buzek denounces imprisonment of Gao Zhisheng in Chinaposted on: 2011/12/19

The President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek denounced the Chinese court's decision to send human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng to three years in prison just a few days before his probation expires.

President Buzek stated: "I denounce the decision of the Chinese court authorities to send Gao Zhisheng to prison just a few days before the probation expires. Gao Zhisheng should be released and allowed to carry on with his life without further harassment, detention or intimidation. I call on the Chinese authorities to communicate on his whereabouts and allow him contact with his family."

China: Update – Human rights defender Mr Liu Zhengyou releasedposted on: 2011/11/11

Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of human rights defender Mr Liu Zhengyou on 11 November 2011, following his completion of a two year prison sentence.

China: BBC camera crew prevented from visiting human rights defender Chen Guangcheng under house arrestposted on: 2011/11/11

BBC camera crew prevented from visiting Chen Guangcheng' The three men acted swiftly and efficiently - they had a job to do.

Today Front Line Defenders declares support for campaign in China to help human rights defender Chen Guangchengposted on: 2011/11/10

Front Line Defenders Executive Director Mary Lawlor (centre) and staff celebrate the birthday of Chinese HRD Chen Guangcheng in expression of solidarity with Chinese human rights defenders.

China: Update – Court rejects appeal of human rights defender Ms Wang Lihongposted on: 2011/10/21

On 20 October 2011, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court rejected human rights defender Ms Wang Lihong's appeal of her nine-month jail term for “creating a disturbance”.

China: One year after being released from jail, human rights defender Chen Guangcheng and family remain prisoners in their own homeposted on: 2011/09/09

Today, 9 September, marks a year since human rights defender Mr Chen Guangcheng was released from jail, after serving more than four years in prison on account of his work exposing forced sterilizations and abortions in Linyi City, Shandong Province.

Further Information

Since his release on 9 September 2010, Chen Guangcheng and his wife have been kept as prisoners in their own home. They have been beaten a number of times and stripped of nearly all their possessions. The couple’s six year old daughter and Chen’s 76 year old mother are also being detained with them. The entrances to the village and the house in which they live are cut off by up to 30 men. Any attempts by the international media, foreign diplomats or fellow human rights defenders to visit the family have been unsuccessful and have been often met with violence.

The family is being physically prevented from stepping foot outside their property. Phone-jamming equipment has been installed around the house to stop them having any kind of contact with the outside world.

China: UPDATE - Human rights defender Tian Xi released after completing a one-year prison sentenceposted on: 2011/08/22

Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender and AIDS activist Mr Tian Xi, on 18 August 2011, from the Shangcai County Detention Centre. Tian Xi was sentenced to a year in prison on 11 February 2011, which was backdated to when he was first detained by police in August 2010, for 'intentional destruction of property'. It is understood that there are no conditions attached to his release.

Further Information

Tian Xi is an HIV/AIDS activist who contracted the virus, along with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, through a contaminated blood transfusion he received at the People's No. 1 Hospital in Xincai, in 1996, when he was nine years old. Over the past number of years he has campaigned extensively on behalf of individuals infected with HIV through contaminated blood from State-sponsored blood sales and hospital transfusions in the 1990s.

For further information on this case, please see original Front Line Urgent Appeal available Here

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China: Update - Human rights defender Ran Yunfei released, but placed under "residential surveillance"posted on: 2011/08/10

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.

China: Appeal of human rights defender Mr Qi Chonghuai rejected, eight-year prison sentence upheldposted on: 2011/08/03

On 26 July 2011, a court in Shandong Province rejected the appeal of human rights defender Mr Qi Chonghuai against an eight-year prison sentence on charges of extortion, blackmail, and embezzlement.Qi Chonghuai was convicted of these charges on 9 June 2011, and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Further Information

Qi Chonghuai has already served a four-year prison term on charges of extortion and blackmail, and was due to be released on 25 June 2011, however, shortly before this date, Qi Chonghuai was visited in prison by police officers who indicated that he would not be released.

China: Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender and Sakharov Prize winner Hu Jiaposted on: 2011/06/27

Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender and Sakharov Prize winner Mr Hu Jia, who was freed from prison on 26 June following his completion of a three and a half year sentence for “inciting subversion of state sovereignty”. Hu Jia faces a further year’s ‘deprivation of political rights’, banning him from speaking to the media or engaging in political activities. In a brief phone interview with a Hong Kong television station broadcast late on 26 June, Hu Jia said he would continue his rights defence work. Front Line is greatly concerned that Hu Jia and his family will be subjected to extrajudicial house arrest in the coming months.

Further Information

Hu Jia arrived home at 2.30am on 26 June to his parents and his wife, fellow human rights defender Ms Zeng Jinyan. In a message posted on Twitter on Sunday morning, Zeng Jinyan wrote, “All well, very happy. He needs time to rest and recuperate.” Hu Jia suffers from chronic Hepatitis B. The couple’s three year old daughter was not there to greet him because, fearing that they would be kept under house arrest following Hu Jia’s release, Zeng Jinyan placed her in the care of relatives.