JUDGES URGED TO ACQUIT CYBER-DISSIDENT
LI JIANPING ON SUBVERSION CHARGE
Reporters Without Borders today called for
the acquittal of cyber-dissident Li Jianping, whose trial on a
charge of "inciting the subversion of state sovereignty" in
articles and comments for foreign websites will begin tomorrow in the
eastern province of Shandong. He was charged on 9 March but has been
held since 28 May 2005.
"Li's conviction would violate international standards of free expression," the press freedom organisation said. "His only crime was to express his views on such issues as democracy. We urge the judges to find him innocent and set him free, especially as he has already spent almost a year in prison for no good reason."
Foreign-based websites barred to Chinese Internet users such as Boxun News, ChinaEWeekly, China Democracy and Epoch Times were regularly used by Li to post articles criticising some of the practices of the leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China and deploring the lack of free expression in the Chinese media.
He was arrested for defamation when officials from the Internet control committee came and searched his home in Zibo, in Shandong province, and examined the contents of his computer's hard drive.
According to the US-based organisation Human Rights in China and his lawyer, Zhang Xinshui, he faces a possible 15-year prison sentence when he appears tomorrow before an intermediate court.
"Li's conviction would violate international standards of free expression," the press freedom organisation said. "His only crime was to express his views on such issues as democracy. We urge the judges to find him innocent and set him free, especially as he has already spent almost a year in prison for no good reason."
Foreign-based websites barred to Chinese Internet users such as Boxun News, ChinaEWeekly, China Democracy and Epoch Times were regularly used by Li to post articles criticising some of the practices of the leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China and deploring the lack of free expression in the Chinese media.
He was arrested for defamation when officials from the Internet control committee came and searched his home in Zibo, in Shandong province, and examined the contents of his computer's hard drive.
According to the US-based organisation Human Rights in China and his lawyer, Zhang Xinshui, he faces a possible 15-year prison sentence when he appears tomorrow before an intermediate court.
Aged 40, Li is a businessman as well as an
independent journalist, and used to run a medical equipment supply
business. He took part in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in
Beijing in 1989 as a founder of the Independent Federation of Shanghai
Universities.
You're tagged in my blog. Refer to Se7en. =P
Posted by: Kierra | Thursday, April 13, 2006 at 04:38 AM
My comment's unrelated to this entry, but I thought it worth noting that Hu Jintao is in the US this week. His first order of business is to meet with captains of American industry (CEOs of various large companies), and later in the week w/George Bush.
I'm virtually certain that human rights are NOT on the agenda with the CEOs or the Bush.
Posted by: tom | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 06:58 AM
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2006-04-19T153749Z_01_PEK23834_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-CHINA-INTERNET.xml&rpc=22
yahoo hid behind alibaba once, but they can't do it for something tha thappened three years ago.
Posted by: luis | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 12:11 AM