Tuesday, August 28, 2012

《维权网》介入肖勇劳教案代理律师再遭干扰而被迫放弃


(维权网信息员蒋理报道)8月26日,本网信息员获悉,湖南邵阳武冈维权人士肖勇被劳教案代理律师深圳的庞琨律师遭到深圳当地司法部门的干扰、威胁,被迫放弃介入该案代理。这是继河南常伯阳律师因欲代理肖勇案而被干扰被迫退出的又一名律师。

据知情人士告诉本网,庞琨律师在肖勇于7月20日被邵阳市劳教后,就马上赶到邵阳准备履行代理事宜,但因肖勇的家人受到当地警方威胁而无法完成代理手续。庞律师回到深圳后,就遭到深圳当地司法部门的干扰,近来更是不断有司法部门工作人员及深圳警方找庞律师喝茶,庞律师所在的律师事务所也迫于压力要庞律师转所,这就意味着庞律师执业面临被停止的危险。无奈之下,庞律师被迫放弃原计划近日前往邵阳的打算,退出肖勇劳教案代理。

早前河南律师常伯阳因准备介入肖勇劳教案,也遭到当地司法部门约谈,后来无法实施代理。现在庞琨律师又被迫退出,可见中国司法当局对律师执业权的干扰、侵害状况。

原文链接

Monday, August 27, 2012

吴华英 ‏@xinceng34:朱承志,回家!肖勇,回家!

《维权网》介入肖勇劳教案代理律师再遭干扰而被迫放弃


(维权网信息员蒋理报道)8月26日,本网信息员获悉,湖南邵阳武冈维权人士肖勇被劳教案代理律师深圳的庞琨律师遭到深圳当地司法部门的干扰、威胁,被迫放弃介入该案代理。这是继河南常伯阳律师因欲代理肖勇案而被干扰被迫退出的又一名律师。

据知情人士告诉本网,庞琨律师在肖勇于7月20日被邵阳市劳教后,就马上赶到邵阳准备履行代理事宜,但因肖勇的家人受到当地警方威胁而无法完成代理手续。庞律师回到深圳后,就遭到深圳当地司法部门的干扰,近来更是不断有司法部门工作人员及深圳警方找庞律师喝茶,庞律师所在的律师事务所也迫于压力要庞律师转所,这就意味着庞律师执业面临被停止的危险。无奈之下,庞律师被迫放弃原计划近日前往邵阳的打算,退出肖勇劳教案代理。

早前河南律师常伯阳因准备介入肖勇劳教案,也遭到当地司法部门约谈,后来无法实施代理。现在庞琨律师又被迫退出,可见中国司法当局对律师执业权的干扰、侵害状况。

原文链接

Friday, August 24, 2012

《美国之音》海外法醫專家稱李旺陽死因存疑點 (via @debbycsw)

(编者:自 Debby Chan 陳詩韻 @debbycsw 推文 ..)




港民間組織社民連線要求徹查李旺陽死因

譚嘉琪, 鄭鈴渝, 黎堡 08.23.2012

香港 - 受民運團體香港支聯會委託的一位海外法醫專家説,中國湖南當局早前對民運人士李旺陽離奇死亡作出的死因調查報告存在多項疑點。

許多香港人不接受官方稱李旺陽今年六月初自殺身亡的説法。中國官方發表死因報告後,香港支聯會委託澳大利亞莫納什大學(Monash University)法醫教授史提芬.科德納(Stephen Cordner)審閱這份報告,希望海外專家能提供獨立的意見。

科德納星期四透過視像在香港的一個記者會上表示,由於沒有足夠資料,他很難斷定李旺陽是否自殺,但他指出了中國官方報告的各種疑點。

科德納曾嘗試根據大陸官方的報告和親屬所拍下的三張照片作出研究,他引述學術資料表示,自殺時雙腳可以不離地,跟親屬所拍到的現象類同 。不過, 他認為單靠照片不能作準確的結論。

大陸官方法醫報告指,李旺陽是因為自殺而使得頸椎斷裂。不過,法醫科德納認為這種情況比較罕見。再者,科德納質疑當局判斷李旺陽是從床上跳下去自殺的説法 。科德納解釋,過程中李旺陽的拖鞋並沒有掉下,而臉和腳也沒有明顯的傷痕。

科德納表示,由於沒有多角度拍攝案發現場的照片和完整的驗屍報告, 無法確定李旺陽是否自殺。他又批評湖南當局沒有向家屬提供驗屍報告的做法不符合國際標準,建議當局讓家屬復核有關報告。

自從“民運硬漢”李旺陽在6月6日被發現身亡後,他的死因一直備受質疑。湖南官方的驗屍報告在7月公佈,認定他是自殺身亡,又總結説各界專家一致認為李旺陽死亡是自縊所致。該報告當時引起香港人的廣泛質疑。

李旺陽的妹妹李旺玲和妹夫趙寶珠至今還未露面向公眾交代對中國官方作出的死因報告的看法。香港支聯會主席李卓人聲稱下個月向聯合國處理法外謀殺、人口失蹤和酷刑等問題的委員會提交科德納的法醫報告,供國際組織作參考。

原文链接

Thursday, August 23, 2012

《零八宪章》肖国珍:湖南,我为你哭泣!

肖国珍:湖南,我为你哭泣!

在战争时代,子弹塑造英雄,地点是战场;在和平时代,暴政塑造英雄,地点是监狱。你何其有幸,生在和平时代;你何其不幸,在监狱做英雄!

湖南——我的故乡,我为你哭泣!

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,你是“法治湖南”。

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,楚地沦陷在暴徒之手。

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,当局是何等脆弱,从物质到精神,全是豆腐渣,以至受不了一位六旬老人发布的一张照片、一句呼吁,似乎这将使“和谐”轰然倒塌。

你逮捕的是良心,释放的是罪恶。

湖南——我的故乡,我为你骄傲!

湘楚儿女,为正义而战,前赴后继。旺阳刚走,承志承之。

但有潇湘儿女在,必保中华永不亡!

(原文请见肖国珍律师博客:http://faweitian.fyfz.cn/art/1048870.htm

肖国珍律师


刚才有网友与我QQ,如下:

网友:“你如何看待朱承志以煽颠罪被捕?”

我:“一句话:夫复何言?!或,一个词——艾未未的公司名称。我想写一
文章。如写成,发给你。”

(注:艾未未的公司名称“发课”——应是英文四个字母之某单音节词的音
译,具体请读者自行破解。)

8月9日,有媒体电话采访我,说是承志被逮捕了;逮捕时间是7月25日。问我对此有何看法?我闻之大怒,因没有事先没有掌握情况,不好擅自发表意见,于是“审慎”地说:“需要看起诉意见书(如有)和当局掌握的‘证据’才能判断;在我看来,承志行为不会构成犯罪。” 说这番话的同时,我心里一遍又一遍地对自己大声说:承志无罪!承志无罪!不想外交辞令,我要发出声音。

刘本琦进去时,我写了一篇博文,提到——
本琦的罪名是“煽颠”,一个很好使的罪名,一个让所有人都可以进去的罪名。
这个罪名,把多少光明的人送进了黑暗。
本琦进去了,下一个是谁?

——答案依次呈现:先是刘英,再是唐慧;以同一罪名进去的,就是承志了。光明的承志,被送进了黑暗。有多少次,我摇头苦笑:是我对我们生活于其中的斯世总结得很到位呢;还是怪我这不知深浅的嘴,不幸而言中地把弟兄姐妹们一个一个地送了进去?

与承志亦素未谋面。但,相知何必曾相识!

往事,如镜头一个个回放(这将又成为我与朋友们的罪证?)——

6月6日

李旺阳之死,让我注意到承志。记忆中,他是发布李旺阳死亡第一手照片及信息的人。(正如传言:有人戏说“某国主席是白痴”被判泄露国家秘密罪一样,承志最大的罪状,其实就是泄露了“国家秘密”吧。)

6月7日

晨,我向承志发出信息:“承志兄,我愿报名。作为公开声明要求彻查真相参与人之一。我是肖国珍,北京律师。”
想必承志很忙,他只匆匆发了个图标给我。

随后,陆续得知以下信息:

“朱承志被软禁在家,五位不速之客赖在家里。家里有97岁的老母亲”。

“尹正安、朱承志、雷德明、刘少华、黃丽红、李旺玲赵宝珠夫妇等十几个湖南邵阳当地人士被单独隔离,唯一的目标是强压李旺玲夫妇同意立马火化昨早非正常死亡的硬汉李,旺阳先生。”

“因为昨天去邵阳大祥区人民医院看望非正常死亡的硬汉李旺阳,当地中学语文老师黃丽红女士现在家里有十三个人开会陪伴。上午十点被隆回警方带回,并不准再去卲阳看李家人。”

我在第一时间,做七律及挽联各一,并发布以下信息,亦望承志等看到以资可用,但当即被屏蔽,内容如次:
“关于李旺阳先生死亡事宜,既然公安机关认定是自杀,那就不是刑事案件,不关公安的事,警察无权介入;应由家属安排后事,遗体应交家属。

就李旺阳先生案,还提出一个问题:小时候我看过一本书,好象叫《中国古代办案百例》,其中有一个《审猪案》(已查网上没有,以下系我一一打字),大意是:妻因奸谋害夫致死,然后纵火焚屋,妻活夫死,妻报案说夫因醉未得逃脱。县官审之,以一活猪及一杀死之猪,同时以柴火焚之。结果如下:被烧死之活猪嘴里有柴灰,先被杀死之猪嘴里无柴灰;而死者嘴里无灰——以此断定该妇报假案。该妇认罪伏死。县民以为奇。

就李旺阳先生案照片来看,虽我非医学专业人,然李旺阳先生非自吊之像(包括但不限于舌头、眼睛、脚等多处迹象),已是明显。大家可结合前述古代案例。

把已被谋害致死的人,吊在绳上;与活人上吊,体征、迹象绝对是不同的。抛砖引玉,以待专业人士教我。以上,可同时发出去,广为传播,我不要著作权,但我承担法律责任。故是否署我之名由发布人自行决定。”

我的本意:在阳光下公开,以遏制、制止警察的违法行为。(可惜,这成了我的一厢情愿。他们最后还是强行控制且火化了遗体。)

6月8日

收到承志信息,从语气来看,情况紧急:“接赵宝珠电话:邵阳市公安今天下午要解剖李旺阳的遗体。李旺玲、赵宝珠坚决反对,要见律师、要法律援助!!!朱承志叩首再叩首!!!”

我回复:“承志,你要说清楚需要什么样的援助。”

承志没有回复。你能想见,他是怎样的忙,怎样的操心,怎样的承担着风险。

6月9日

收到信息:

“旺阳死了,挂在窗上。”是朱承志老先生的声音。我连问,承志说了五次:旺阳现在还挂在窗上。我躲进卫生间,身体一阵阵发凉。电话那边,有旺玲撕心裂肺的哭。向来和风细雨的承志先生在电话那头大声喊:你们带走我好了,旺阳怎么可能自杀,你们带走我好了。期间,有国宝呵责承志。是为前天早上:公元2012年六月六日7点26分。

而今天下午开始,承志先生真的被当地国保带走了(昨天到今天上午则是五个国保呆在他家里监视,不顾五十平方的房子里还住着承志先生97岁的老妈妈!),到现在电话还是打不通。原因无非是坚持发声,告诉了国人他看到的真相。

6月10日

收到信息:

“昨天警察叫朱承志姐姐去劝老朱以后不要再关注李旺阳事件的保证,写了保证书就可以出来了,老朱不愿意,所以到今天还被拘留在警察局里。”

是的,承志,你不愿意,所以被拘留了;你不愿意,所以被逮捕了!

朋友们一天一天地数着你被关了多少天。

挪威森林《长者朱承志:凤凰涅槃》是这么描述你的:“从关注自己的命运开始关注它人的苦难与冤屈。于是我们看到了,福州三网友案,长者朱承志在法院高声告诉法警:我是中国公民朱承志;北京王荔蕻案,长者朱承志三番五次进京围观;.....在大陆中国,你总到见到这位瘦小老者的身影站在最前面。”

(http://blog.tianya.cn/blogger/post_read.asp?BlogID=3590157&PostID=40063478)
听艾晓明老师说,你总是那么意气风发,背着几个包,还健步如飞,从不言累。

你定然是一如既往的坚韧。

他们一定是机关丧尽,也无法从你口里淘出他们想要的。也“难怪”他们要捕你——若不是你第一时间拍下了现场照片,若不是你呼吁,李旺阳会不会如此前蒸发掉的人们一样,默默不知所终?会不会有国人质疑、香港游行、举世瞩目?难说。

是的,你的全部罪过,在于你发出了声音,且拒绝发出强权压迫之下违背良知的声音。

承志,你是家园的建设者,正义的守望者。

以花甲之年屡涉险地,以瘦削之躯常面强权。

在战争时代,子弹塑造英雄,地点是战场;在和平时代,暴政塑造英雄,地点是监狱。你何其有幸,生在和平时代;你何其不幸,在监狱做英雄!

石,因琢成玉,铁,久炼成钢。

我固然深信:你的信念,会因此变得更加坚定;但,你年长且瘦削的躯体,经得起几番折磨?

湖南——我的故乡,我为你哭泣!

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,你是“法治湖南”。

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,楚地沦陷在暴徒之手。

你以“莫须有”逮捕承志的方式,来进一步证明,当局是何等脆弱,从物质到精神,全是豆腐渣,以至受不了一位六旬老人发布的一张照片、一句呼吁,似乎这将使“和谐”轰然倒塌。

你逮捕的是良心,释放的是罪恶。

湖南——我的故乡,我为你骄傲!

湘楚儿女,为正义而战,前赴后继。旺阳刚走,承志承之。

但有潇湘儿女在,必保中华永不亡!

原文链接

《自由亚洲》湖南邵阳临时工执法 罚款可提八成


2012-08-22

湖南邵阳市聘请了一千名“市容监督员”,替代城管执法。监督员可以从收到的罚款中,提成百分之八十作为个人工资。有评论认为,这种做法不合法律规定,显示出当局行政措施的随意性。
湖南邵阳市的一些市民最近被这些人数众多的监督员处以罚款。

湖南的《潇湘晨报》报道说,许多驾车的司机,在等待绿灯时停在人行过道上,也被处以十元人民币罚款。开出罚单的人不是身穿制服的警察或者城管人员,而是戴着红袖标的“市容监督员”。

报道说,邵阳市近期聘请了一千名市容监督员,每人每月基本工资五百元,外加从罚款中抽成的百分之八十。邵阳市政府今年六月下发文件,规定对各种损害市容的行为进行罚款,包括乱过马路罚十元,乱丢垃圾罚十元,违规停车罚五十元等。

中国网络作者刘先生就此表示,中国的城市管理当局聘用临时工执法的事在中小城市中较为普遍。

“这种事情在中国相当普遍,尤其是在中小城市都是作为一种他们临时要保自己的急救方法,一般来讲就是要把这些临时人员、正规人员把他装扮成执法人员,然后到处罚款,有的是罚个人,有的是罚商铺,提成40、50、60 的都有。”

有中国的媒体报道说,有法律专家认为,这样的事不符合中国法律,一是执法人员必须有正式的授权才能发出罚款和其他处罚,二是罚没款项必须进入国库,不能采取提成的方式私下分成。

美国南卡州立大学管理学教授谢田分析说,海南邵阳市的做法明显不符合现代社会管理模式,有很强的中国特色。

“中国不是一个法治国家,政府管理随意性、随机性进一步体现。可能是因为现在这个社会非常动荡,他们人手不够需要更多的所谓中共的发动群众来进行。需要钱来支持,干脆就让他们自生自灭就地取材自己赚钱。实际上可以看出来是没有制约的权力的扩散和无限扩展。”

根据中国媒体的报道,有类似情况的并不只邵阳一个城市,湖南的湘潭、株洲和湖北的武汉等,最近也都聘请市容监督员对市民的违规行为进行处罚。

在中国的刘先生表示,目前中国是个行政主导的体制,地方政府的管理措施常常和政治风向有关。

“一般这种事情都是下面跟风行为,都是上面吹个什么风下面来搞一些动作。现在十八大要开了,我估计就是下面借十八大之机来整顿整顿。顺便来敛财。在中国,实际是一个行政治理的一种国家,靠行政命令来运作的。至于说法律授权呀合法不合法呀都不重要,一般来讲上面有一个行政命令,下面就拿这个作为法律依据,然后就铺开来,它愿意怎么搞就怎么搞。”

在美国的谢教授则分析说,类似做法显示中国城市管理的失效。

“如果政府很有信誉的话市民会形成自卫队、纠察队不要一分钱。以前的那种小脚老太太很多都是不拿钱的。现在让利让到80% 的话,人心已经失去了。必须让出大部分利益来雇佣几个街头流氓式的人物来帮助维持秩序。你从它这个组织结构就可以看出来这些人,不会上缴20%,最多可能上缴10%,没有监督,就凭自己予取予求得到的,他干嘛要上缴呢?”

近年,有中国法律专家提出,应该立法规范城管部门的执法权力。与此同时,有很多城市在城管局之外又聘用临时工从事执法和罚款工作,引起各界质疑声不断。

以上是自由亚洲电台记者石山的报道。

文链接

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

苏雨桐 @Suyutong 部分推文 —— 自由承志!

(编者注:如果你不知道 苏雨桐 那可就没与时俱进了~ 自从 朱承志李旺阳死亡 寻找真相,失去自由后,雨桐就在每天公开呼吁,像她这样的关注者有一大群;他们/她们 在为中国公民社会孕育和发展做出了自己的贡献!)





苏雨桐 Suyutong ‏@Suyutong 在推特

Monday, August 20, 2012

《零八宪章》论坛:就朱承志老人被捕事件严肃声明!


2012年8月16日 星期四


我们呼吁海内外各界良心人士继续关注李旺阳事件和朱承志事件的后续发展,通过各种渠道和方式来推动湖南地方当局回归人权和法治的底线,尽早还李旺阳先生死亡真相,尽早还朱承志老人以全部的公民权利和人身自由!

今年6月6日在湖南邵阳发生了著名民主人士李旺阳先生被当地警方宣布“自杀”死亡的的蹊跷事件,警方飞荒谬论断引起海内外各界良心人士的普遍质疑和抗议,人们综合李旺阳先生的人生履历、死前活动以及死亡现场的相关信息得出李旺阳之死是中国民主维权史上的又一起“被自杀”悲剧,也因此,海内外民主维权人士(包括香港同胞)掀起了一浪又一浪关注李旺阳之死的抗议运动!

因为做贼心虚,这场声势浩大的抗议运动引起了湖南邵阳地方当局的极大惊恐和不安。他们不惜动用大量警力及相关政府资源去打压湖南境内及一切前往湖南调查和报道死亡真相的众网友。其中,李旺阳先生的小学同学及生前好友朱承志先生因为在第一时间发布了李旺阳死亡现场图像信息并对“自杀”说表示质疑而受到最严重迫害。

据多个媒体报道,2011年李旺阳先生出狱后,朱承志先生曾多次前往看望并设法帮助李旺阳治病。6月6日,在李旺阳被宣布“自杀”当天,朱承志先生便以最快时间赶往现场并拍下李旺阳“自杀”现场图片及相关视频,随后,通过友人将这些非常关键的音像资料被公布到网上,正式这些漏洞百出的现场“上吊”图片才特别引起了广大网友对官方“自杀”结论的普遍怀疑,并推动“关注和声援运动”的持续发展。从某种意义上可以说朱承志先生在推动海内外关注李旺阳死亡真相运动方面起了非常关键性的作用。也正因此,朱承志先生成为邵阳地方当局乃至湖南省当局的重点“工作”目标——他们先是控制了朱承志的人身自由,在劝说朱承志承诺“不再关注李旺阳死亡事件保证书”上签字失败的情况下,6月8日,朱承志老人被当地警方以“扰乱社会治安”为由拘留10天,其后转刑事拘留,7月25日更是以所谓“涉嫌煽动颠覆国家政权”的名义将朱先生正式逮捕。据“自由承志”网站透露:朱承志在拘押期间,邵阳当局曾要求朱承志写一份声明说自己拍的那些照片和视频都是假的,不可以对他从轻处罚,朱承志不答应,拒绝与当局合作来进一步掩盖李旺阳死亡的真相,于是迫害升级,便被作恶累累的邵阳当局正式逮捕了!

众所周知,朱承志先生最近几年连续奔波呐喊在民间维权运动的第一线上,几乎所有发生国内的重大维权事件都能看到这位年逾花甲的老人奋不顾身、竭力抗争的身影——他不仅慷慨解囊一万余元救助进京访民,不仅多次前往苏州灵岩山与众网友共同祭奠林昭女士,他还全称参与了福建三网友案件的所有“围观”活动,参与了倪玉兰案和王荔蕻案的现场“围观抗议”活动,而在每一次的围观抗议活动中他都会以高亢洪亮的声音揭露有关当局对人权的侵犯和伤害,努力以此来捍卫当事人的基本人权并推动国家与社会的进步。

正因此,“零八宪章论坛”对湖南邵阳地方当局以“煽颠”名义逮捕朱承志老人的流氓行径表示强烈的抗议和谴责!我们认为,对朱承志老人的正式逮捕不仅是对中国人权和法治事业的践踏,而且是公民良心和人类正义的蹂躏。无论是先前发生的李旺阳死亡事件还是最近的朱承志被捕事件都再一次证明了“国家人权行动计划”仍然停留在“纸面上”,“有法律而无法治,有宪法而无宪政,仍然是有目共睹的政治现实”!对此,“宪章论坛”不仅要谴责践踏人权和法治的湖南地方当局,也要严厉批评向来以“伟光正”自居的执政党——执政党必须为发生在中华大地的诸多李旺阳事件和朱承志事件承担最后的责任!

为了捍卫国家公民的基本人权,为了人权和法治事业的进步,针对朱承志老人被逮捕事件,“零八宪章论坛”特别声明如下:

第一, 湖南邵阳地方当局必须无条件地释放朱承志先生,并保证老人的生命安全和身体健康!

第二, 湖南省当局必须督责邵阳地方当局迅速释放朱承志先生,并给老人以政府的歉意和赔偿!

第三, 鉴于湖南省内最近以来所不断发生的恶性案件(包括李旺阳被自杀事件、朱承志被捕事件以及唐慧被劳教案等等),建议执政党中央严肃整顿湖南吏治,还李旺阳先生死亡真相,还朱承志老人以自由,并严肃追究“始作俑者”及其帮凶的一切法律责任和道义责任!

最后,我们呼吁海内外各界良心人士继续关注李旺阳事件和朱承志事件的后续发展,通过各种渠道和方式来推动湖南地方当局回归人权和法治的底线,尽早还李旺阳先生死亡真相,尽早还朱承志老人以全部的公民权利和人身自由!

原文链接

《维权网》湖南多名民主维权人士因李旺阳事件至今遭囚


2012年8月20日 星期一


(维权网信息员龚萍、雷鸣报道)8月20日,本网信息员了解到湖南怀化张善光、黎建军与湘潭周志荣等几名民主维权人士至今仍然被警方囚禁,完全与外界失去联系。家属质疑:就算是坐牢,也还每月可以探视,现在居然70多天了,家属根本不知道他们身在何处?不仅无法探视,而且连通个电话都不得。因此,家属感到这种超越法律之上的囚禁,远远比坐牢还可怕。

本网信息员20日下午联系到湖南怀化民主维权人士张善光的太太,问她是否有张善光先生的消息?张太太说没有任何老张的消息。自从6月9日,张善光被溆浦警方带走后,至今已经70余天,家中没有接到过张善光的一个电话,家属当然更无法打通张善光的电话。张太太曾多次找溆浦国保询问张善光的下落,但得到国保的答复就是“这事由不得我们。我们只是听命行事。张善光一切都好。”当张太太追问究竟张善光身在何处?国保说就在溆浦县内。但当张太太要求找张善光见面处理些事时,国保又说张善光外出“旅游”了,不在县内。同时,本网信息员了解到张太太家网线,自从6月中旬中断以来,张太太反复找溆浦县电信及国保部门,但均一直无法开通。据电信部门跟张太太说是网线端口出了问题,被设置了什么密码,因此无法上网。在当地国保则回复根本不知情,完全将责任推给电信。这样使得张太太在家无法上网了解信息,生活受到极大影响,使张太太深感郁闷。

下面是溆浦县电信网络管理部门电话:15348457677、18907450168

另外,与怀化张善光同日被警方带走控制的还有怀化黎建军与湘潭周志荣,他们至今也没有获得释放,家人也不知他们被关押于何处。

自从民运人士李旺阳于今年6月5日在就医的医院病房中离奇吊死后,湖南一批民主维权人士因对李旺阳之死提出质疑,就遭到警方的严控,至今过去两个多月,居然还有一批人被囚禁而不得释放,更有肖勇被劳教,朱承志被以涉嫌“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”逮捕。如此严重侵犯公民人身自由权利与剥夺公民知情权的行径,应该引起世界持续关注!

原文链接

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Re-post from Helena @hlkalin (Zhu Chengzhi is punished because of Li Wangyang - The Guardian)



China accused of crackdown on family and friends of dead activist

Li Wangyang's friend arrested as punishment for questioning suspicious circumstance of death, human rights groups say

Tania Branigan in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 August 2012 10.34 EDT

Li Wangyang's death led to protests in Hong Kong. Relatives and friends say the veteran Chinese activists was too frail to hang himself. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP

Human rights groups have warned of a crackdown on relatives and friends of a veteran Chinese activists who questioned his strange death, after one was arrested for inciting subversion of state power.

They believe Zhu Chengzhi is being punished for flagging the suspicious circumstances of his friend Li Wangyang's death.

Li was found dead in his hospital room in June, two days after the anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. He had served more than two decades in jail for his role in campaigning for workers' rights before he was released last year.

Officials in Shaoyang, Hunan province, initially said he had killed himself, but later described his death as an accident.

Police promised to investigate after thousands signed an online petition and tens of thousands demonstrated in Hong Kong, but concluded again that it was suicide.

Relatives and friends said Li showed no signs he was suicidal, that his feet were on the floor when he was found and that they believed him physically incapable of hanging himself because of his poor health.

"In the early stages, when Hunan provincial authorities agreed to conduct an investigation and make public their findings, we were somewhat encouraged. [Now they have] resorted to the same old tactics of closing the case by trampling on the rights of the family and others," said Catherine Baber, director of Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific programme.

"This is a horrific case. After two decades in prison, Li Wangyang was left with his health devastated. He died in highly suspicious circumstances under state care. For his family to disappear and now for his friend to be prosecuted, it appears as a whistleblower, is truly shocking."

Friends have been unable to contact Li's sister and brother-in-law since shortly after his death. Officials have said the couple have chosen not to speak to people. Other activists were detained.

"Zhu's arrest has ripped away any remaining pretence of official justice for Li. Instead of launching a 'transparent' inquiry as the government had originally promised, it has gone after Li's family and friends, silencing and punishing them," said Wang Songlian of the Chinese Human Rights Defenders Network (CHRD).

Zhu was first held in June, but his wife has now been told he has been formally arrested. Inciting subversion of state power, a charge often used against activists and dissidents, carries a jail term of up to 15 years, although in practice sentences rarely exceed 10 years.

CHRD said Zhu is held at the Shaoyang city detention centre, where phone calls rang unanswered. Police referred queries to a number that was out of service.

One account suggested Zhu was arrested because he took pictures of the death scene and shared them online.

The South China Morning Post, quoting another activist, said Zhu was initially detained because he refused to sign a statement disowning comments he made questioning the official account of Li's death.

Immediately after his friend died, he told the Hong Kong newspaper: "I simply don't think it was a suicide because Li was the kind of guy who would never commit suicide, even if a knife was held against his neck."

link

Thursday, August 16, 2012

《自由亚洲》劳教案例增多引来废除声 律师上书揭开黑暗面


2012-08-15

中国近日有多名访民、维权及异见人士被以“维稳”的名义判处劳教,再次引发人们对劳教制度的拷问。中国网络上有人发起废除劳教制度的签名行动,十位律师上书司法部陈述劳教制度五大弊病,海外媒体也呼吁废除劳动教养条例。

近日中国劳教制度再度引发强烈关注,月前湖南维权人士肖勇被判劳教一年半,湖南访民唐慧为幼女伸冤也曾被处劳教,周二被击毙的重庆抢劫犯周克华也都曾被劳教。不少人认为从唐慧身上看出了劳教是一种当局对民众的报复手段,周克华杀人指被劳教让他产生报复心理。

杭州维权律师王成近期在网络上再度发起“废除劳教”的签名,直到周三有超过5000人签署了“废除劳教”参与连署活动,王成计划在一周的时间内征集到一万人签名,更希望在未来能够收集到一千万人的支持。

王成周三向本台表示:今年因为湖南唐慧案发生之后,全国上下都非常的关注。这是一个非常好的时机。整个社会民意都认为说应该把劳教废除掉。我希望借着这个时机,通过这样一种形式,让更多公民把他们自己的意见表达出来,让政府把这个事情解决掉。

记者:您在发起的时候有没有受到一些压力?我看到您的微博帐号好像被封杀了是吗?

王成:对。因为我们本来是在星期五开始的,开始新浪微博只是把我有关废除劳教的微博进行加密,到了昨天上午十点钟的时候我突然就发现我的微博发不出去了。帐号现在还在,但是只有我能登录看到别人。有人给我发私信说你的微博都被删的只剩几条了。

王成并认为法制建设从废除劳教开始。

劳动教养并非《中华人民共和国刑法》规定的刑罚,而是法律及行政法规规定的一种行政处罚,公安机关毋须经法院审讯定罪,即可将疑犯投入劳教场所,实行最高期限为四年的限制人身自由、强迫劳动、思想教育等措施。而按照中国《宪法》第三十七条: 中华人民共和国公民的人身自由不受侵犯。

这一废除劳教的呼吁在网络中扩散。大陆知名作家郑渊洁拥有342万的关注者,周一他发起废除劳教制度投票,但也很快被删除。据郑渊洁在微博中公布的数字,短短数小时共有近两万人投票,其中98%的参与者认为应该废除劳教制度。

被称作五毛的环球时报编辑胡锡进也在微博表示“希望官方认真回应舆论的质疑,调研劳教制度的现实利害。如果要保留,要说明为什么要保留。如果应当取缔,则早取缔比晚取缔主动。”

与此同时来自北京、广东、河南、湖南、山东等地的十位律师周二联名上书司法部,陈述劳教的弊病,建议对劳教制度进行调整。十名律师包括李方平、刘卫国、姬来松等,他们批评劳教的弊病包括:较为空白的聆讯制度、劳动教养决定不公开、程序不清晰明朗无从追责;律师会见受阻、高龄劳教等。

近日被劳教的艺术家华涌,其律师梁小军也面临会见困难问题。梁小军告诉本台记者:他有朋友去看他,结果也没有见到他,也不能给他送钱。

记者:是他们不让见吗?

梁小军:对,因为这个本身就没有法律规定。而拘留就有刑事诉讼法作出规定,依法保障会见权。所以劳教制度本身就是一个非法的制度。它没有规定得那么详细,规定什么时候让你见,什么时候不让你见。

长期关注公民权利的海外维权网,周二也发表声明表示,中国当局正在变本加厉的利用劳教制度肆意打压维权者,被劳教的维权者数不胜数。声明同时警告,中国当局一意孤行,执意坚持实施劳教制度,不仅违背人心民意,严重侵害了人权、人的自由和人的尊严,也严重损害了宪法的权威和法治的尊严。不仅无助于缓和日益剧烈的社会冲突,而且会激化社会矛盾,加深社会撕裂,制造恶性循环,实为不明不智之举。

以上是自由亚洲电台驻香港特约记者心语的采访报道。

原文链接

China Digital Times: Police Charge Activist Who Cast Doubt on Suicide



A friend of pro-democracy activist Li Wangyang who challenged a police finding that Li committed suicide in a hospital has been formally arrested by police on subversion charges, according to a police document and a fellow activist.
Zhu Chengzhi, 62, was charged with “inciting subversion of state power” by police in Shaoyang, Hunan, according to an official document posted online. The police document, dated July 25, said he is being held at the Shaoyang police detention centre.
[...]The formal arrest of Zhu, the first of about a dozen of Li’s associates who have spoken out about his suspicious death, has sparked fears that the others could face the same fate. Many are being held in police detention or are under house arrest.
[...]Zhu, who went to school with Li, met Li for the last time on June 4 and told the South China Morning Post on the day Li died: “I simply don’t think it was a suicide because Li was the kind of guy who would never commit suicide, even if a knife was held against his neck.”
Zhu was among the first to dispute the claim that Li committed suicide by hanging himself from the bars of a hospital window. He videotaped Li’s body before it was removed, showing his feet were touching the floor and there was a strip of cloth around his neck, raising suspicions about it being suicide.
Amnesty International says Zhu was taken away by Daxiang district police on June 9. His wife, Zeng Qinglian, next day received a notice from authorities to say Zhu was to serve 10 days’ administrative detention for disrupting public order and would be released on June 18.
She believed that Zhu was detained for refusing to sign an undertaking not to call for an independent investigation into Li’s death.
On June 18, rather than being released Zhu was transferred to a detention center in Shuangqing district in Hunan, though he had not been charged.
Another article from The Standard reports on Hong Kong-based protests over Zhu’s arrest:
Dozens rallied outside the central government liaison office yesterday to protest at the arrest of activist Zhu Chengzhi.
[...]Chanting and carrying banners, the activists marched from Western police station.
[...]The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized the rally, urged Beijing to release Zhu and another rights activist, Xiao Yong, who was last month sentenced to 1 years of .
[...]Suspicion over Li’s death sent tens of thousands of Hong Kong people to the streets in June.
In July, activist Xiao Yong was sentenced without trial to labor re-education for contesting official conduct in the case of Li Wangyang. Re-education through labor is a common fate for  and activists in China, and a disciplinary practice that recently sparked online debate after the mother of a rape victim was sent to a labor camp for challenging court rulings in her daughter’s case (the mother has since been released).
The website Free Hongzhi has been rallying for the detained activist’s freedom since his initial detainment in June. Also see a recent post for Global Voices, in which Oiwan Lam translates netizen commentary and support for Zhu from Weibo and Twitter.

SCMP: Police charge activist who cast doubt on suicide

Verna Yu 
Aug 10, 2012

A friend of pro-democracy activist Li Wangyang who challenged a police finding that Li committed suicide in a hospital has been formally arrested by police on subversion charges, according to a police document and a fellow activist.


Zhu Chengzhi, 62, was charged with "inciting subversion of state power" by police in Shaoyang, Hunan, according to an official document posted online. The police document, dated July 25, said he is being held at the Shaoyang police detention centre.

Zhu's wife could not be reached for comment yesterday but fellow activist Wang Lihong, who spoke to her a few days ago, confirmed the authenticity of the document. Formal arrest is often the first step towards prosecution.

The formal arrest of Zhu, the first of about a dozen of Li's associates who have spoken out about his suspicious death, has sparked fears that the others could face the same fate. Many are being held in police detention or are under house arrest.

Li, 62 - a nearly blind and deaf dissident who served a total of 21 years behind bars for his activism in Hunan in support of the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement in 1989 - was found dead in a hospital ward in Shaoyang on June 6, four days after Hong Kong Cable Television broadcast a defiant interview with the labour activist.

His family and friends - including Zhu - have refused to accept the police explanation that he hanged himself in his hospital ward. His death came two days after the 23rd anniversary of the June 4 crackdown.

The Communist Party's top official in Hunan, Zhou Qiang, insisted Li's apparent suicide was "crystal clear with verified evidence".


Wang said local officials bore a grudge against Zhu because he filmed the scene of Li's suspicious death at the hospital ward and posted the video online.

Zhu, who went to school with Li, met Li for the last time on June 4 and told the South China Morning Post on the day Li died: "I simply don't think it was a suicide because Li was the kind of guy who would never commit suicide, even if a knife was held against his neck."

Wang said police ordered Zhu to serve 10 days of administrative detention from June 8 and he was then taken into the Shaoyang police detention centre for "criminal detention".

She said Zhu was initially detained because he refused to sign a statement disowning statements he made to the media that cast doubt on the official version of Li's death.

Calls to Shaoyang's Public Security Bureau and the police detention centre went unanswered yesterday.

"It's a made-up charge, everyone is suspicious about Li's death, [the police] are just taking it out on Zhu," she said. Wang herself is under surveillance.

Wang Songlian, a researcher at Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said: "Instead of launching a [more thorough] investigation into the death, the authorities are going after his family and friends - this case is emblematic of the deteriorating state of China's human rights."

Additional reporting by Laura Zhou





Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Front Line Defenders: Mr. Zhu Chengzhi


China: Charge of 'inciting subversion of state power' brought against human rights defender Mr Zhu Chengzhi

Posted 2012/8/13

Zhu Chengzhi

On 9 August 2012, the wife of human rights defender Mr Zhu Chengzhi, received official notice from the authorities in Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, that her husband was being charged with 'inciting subversion of state power'

It is thought that the charges relate to Zhu Chengzhi's questioning of the official version of events regarding the death of his friend and fellow human rights defender Mr Li Wangyang in June 2012. Zhu Chengzhi is reportedly being held incommunicado in a detention centre in Shuangqing District, Shaoyang City.

Death of Li Wangyang

Following the death of Li Wangyang in a hospital in Shaoyang City on 6 June 2012, Zhu Chengzhi circulated photographs online which called into question the official explanation of Li Wangyang's death as suicide. The photographs showed Li Wangyang's body with his feet planted on the ground and his face free from any signs of distortion, with a piece of cloth slung around his neck and tied to the window. Li Wangyang was in very poor health at the time of his death, and in addition to Zhu Chengzhi, his family questioned how Li Wangyang, who had difficulty walking, would be able to hang himself.

Administrative Detention

On 9 June 2012 Zhu Chengzhi was detained by police in Shaoyang City after reportedly refusing to sign a document guaranteeing he would stop questioning the causes of Li Wangyang's death. Zhu Chengzhi was sentenced to a ten day period of administrative detention for 'disrupting social order'. On 18 June 2012, the date he was due to be released, authorities informed Zhu Chengzhi's family that he had been transferred to a detention centre while his case was investigated further. He has remained in detention since then. The new charges of 'inciting subversion of state power' reflect an escalation in the seriousness with which the authorities are treating his case.

Front Line Defenders believes that the detention of Zhu Chengzhi and the charge being brought against him are directly linked to his legitimate human rights work, particularly his efforts to establish the cause of Li Wangyang's death.


link

《前线人权捍卫者》中国人权卫士朱承志先生被指控“煽动颠覆国家政权”

香港支聯會 812 抗議相冊



32幅照片,自香港支聯會 picasaweb 相冊

Monday, August 13, 2012

《新世纪新闻网》支联会声明:释放朱承志!释放肖勇!


支联会2012年8月12日声明:释放朱承志!释放肖勇!

作者:佚名 文章来源:支联会 更新时间:2012/8/12
(支联会2012年8月12日声明)

释放朱承志!释放肖勇!

对湖南工运领袖李旺阳於6月6日在医院「被自杀」后,发起调查「六四铁汉」李旺阳死亡真相的内地维权人士一个接一个被湖南当局惩处,支联会对此感到十分愤怒,担心将有更多人被株连。

朱承志、肖勇、尹正安、黄丽红、雷德明、李赞民及李旺玲、赵宝珠夫妇等曾组织「李旺阳被自杀真相调查委员会」,要求由独立专业人士验屍。其后,委员会成员及李旺阳亲友纷纷被当局恐吓、软禁或拘留。其中,刘水莲、刘少华和欧阳经华「被恐吓喝茶」;尹正安、张善光、黎建安和周志荣「被失踪」;肖勇被判劳教十八个月。肖勇欲请律师诉讼更被阻挠,无法安排。肖勇太太肖云在劳教后辞掉了工作,照顾两岁的儿子和安抚因肖勇劳教而病倒的精神恍惚的父亲。

此外,第一手发布李旺阳「被自杀」死亡图片的62 岁朱承志也被当局於7 月25 日以涉嫌「煽动颠覆国家政权」罪名递捕,现羁押在邵阳市看守所。朱承志追寻李旺阳死因,拍几张相片,却变成「煽动颠覆国家政权」被捕。这个国家如此虚怯,担心十三亿分之一国民的死亡真相会动摇政权,更反映湖南的所谓验屍调查站不住脚。朱承志拒写不再关注李旺阳的死因保证书,又不肯推翻自己对李旺阳「被自杀」的质疑而改口支持官方的「李旺阳自杀论」,支联会担心朱承志因此会被重判。

支联会强烈要求中央政府彻查李旺阳死因真相,严惩凶徒,以及停止迫害李旺阳家人及维权人士。

反对政治检控!抗议政治打压!

释放朱承志!释放肖勇!释放李旺玲!释放赵宝珠!释放尹正安!

旺阳烈士,含冤待雪!彻查真相,严惩凶徒!

释放民运人士!平反八九民运!追究屠城责任!结束一党专政!建设民主中国!

www.alliance.org.hk
http://www.facebook.com/hka198964
Twitter / Buzz: HKA1989

原文链接

The Standard: Rally awards `gold medals' in abuse

Kelly Ip

Monday, August 13, 2012

Dozens rallied outside the central government liaison office yesterday to protest at the arrest of activist Zhu Chengzhi.

Zhu was a close friend of democracy activist and labor rights champion Li Wangyang, who is said to have committed suicide on June 6.

Chanting and carrying banners, the activists marched from Western police station.

Taking advantage of the Olympics mood, some stuck plastic "gold medals" outside the office, suggesting that mainland authorities are champions when it comes to suppressing human rights activists.

Police kept a close watch on protesters, and officers on several occasions warned them not to try climbing the iron gate at the liaison office.

Zhu is now under arrest in Shaoyang, Hunan, on a charge of instigating subversion in an attempt to topple the government. Such a serious charge may lead to a long spell in prison.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized the rally, urged Beijing to release Zhu and another rights activist, Xiao Yong, who was last month sentenced to 1 years of labor re-education.

They also demanded that authorities stop monitoring members of Li's family.

Protesters said blame for attempting to topple the government should instead be pinned on Shaoyang police for producing faked investigation reports and arresting rights activists.

Findings were that the near-blind Li, 62, hanged himself in a Shaoyang hospital room, and that was upheld by a review of the case in July.

If the suicide finding was true, protesters argued yesterday, there was no reason as to why Li's family should be incommunicado so long after his death.

Zhu, also 62, was among the first to dispute the claim Li committed suicide. He videotaped and took pictures of Li before his body was taken from the hospital. It showed Li's feet on the floor and a strip of cloth around his neck attached to a window bar.

Soon after that action Zhu was placed under administrative detention for 10 days for disrupting social order. He reportedly refused to sign a document promising not to question the circumstances surrounding Li's death. He has been held since then.

Suspicion over Li's death sent tens of thousands of Hong Kong people to the streets in June.

link

UCA news: Activist indicted for subversion


Activist indicted for subversion

Zhu Chengzhi charged after raising questions over friend's death

ucanews.com reporter, Hong Kong
China
August 9, 2012

Hunan human rights activist Zhu Chengzhi

Police have arrested and charged Zhu Chengzhi, a friend and supporter of deceased labor unionist Li Wangyang, with inciting subversion of state power, according to a national human rights group.

The Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said today that it had received a copy of the indictment against Zhu Chengzhi, issued by the Shaoyang City Public Security Bureau on July 25.

Zhu Chengzhi, from Hunan province, is being held at a detention center in Shaoyang, according to CHRD.

Zhu used his Twitter account to spread news of the death of Li, who was found hanging from the bars of a hospital room window on June 6.

The circumstances of his death remain unclear. Authorities pronounced the cause of death as suicide after a two-week investigation by the Hunan Provincial Security Bureau.

Zhu and others have been outspoken in saying that suicide was an unlikely explanation for the unionist’s death.

Doriane Lau of the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Concern Group said today that it was common for authorities to use the charge of subversion to suppress political dissidents.

“Apparently the government wants revenge against Zhu and to send a warning to other dissidents,” she said.

“Authorities may suppose that [Zhu] was the one who brought the incident to the attention of the international community. That’s why he was given such a heavy charge.”

The CHRD said Zhu was given a 10-day administrative detention on June 9 for “disrupting public order” after questioning the cause of Li’s death.

Zhu’s wife was subsequently told by security officers that he would continue to be under surveillance and would be held for further investigation, CHRD said.

He remained in custody and his whereabouts were unknown until the indictment was made public.

Other supporters of Li have come under scrutiny by security officials.

Activist Xiao Yong was sentenced to 18 months of re-education in a labor camp last month, and his lawyer was reportedly pressured by local authorities to give up his defense of Xiao.

Meanwhile, some of Li’s family members and other activists who questioned the circumstances of his death have been summoned by police or put under house arrest.

Lau urged the Shaoyang government to release these persons who have been illegally detained.

“They have done nothing wrong. They merely demanded that authorities be fair and just handling the investigation of Li’s death.”

Or Yan-yan of Hong Kong diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission criticized the Chinese government for ignoring the rule of law and prosecuting its people on groundless charges.

“It makes me feel suffocated when considering that internal power struggles result in the sacrifice of people’s benefits,” she said.

原文链接

Sunday, August 12, 2012

支聯會聲明:釋放朱承志!釋放肖勇!

(支聯會2012年8月12日聲明)

釋放朱承志!釋放肖勇!

  對湖南工運領袖李旺陽於6月6日在醫院「被自殺」後,發起調查「
六四鐵漢」李旺陽死亡真相的內地維權人士一個接一個被湖南當局懲處,支聯會對此感到十分憤怒,擔心將有更多人被株連。

  朱承志、肖勇、尹正安、黃麗紅、雷德明、李贊民及李旺玲、趙寶珠夫婦等曾組織「李旺陽被自殺真相調查委員會」,要求由獨立專業人士驗屍。其後,委員會成員及李旺陽親友紛紛被當局恐嚇、軟禁或拘留。其中,劉水蓮、劉少華和歐陽經華「被恐嚇喝茶」;尹正安、張善光、黎建安和周志榮「被失蹤」;肖勇被判勞教十八個月。肖勇欲請律師訴訟更被阻撓,無法安排。肖勇太太肖雲在勞教後辭掉了工作,照顧兩歲的兒子和安撫因肖勇勞教而病倒的精神恍惚的父親。

  此外,第一手發布李旺陽「被自殺」死亡圖片的62 歲朱承志也被當局於7 月25 日以涉嫌「煽動顛覆國家政權」罪名遞捕,現羈押在邵陽市看守所。朱承志追尋李旺陽死因,拍幾張相片,卻變成「煽動顛覆國家政權」被捕。這個國家如此虛怯,擔心十三億分之一國民的死亡真相會動搖政權,更反映湖南的所謂驗屍調查站不住腳。朱承志拒寫不再關注李旺陽的死因保證書,又不肯推翻自己對李旺陽「被自殺」的質疑而改口支持官方的「李旺陽自殺論」,支聯會擔心朱承志因此會被重判。

  支聯會強烈要求中央政府徹查李旺陽死因真相,嚴懲兇徒,以及停止迫害李旺陽家人及維權人士。

  反對政治檢控!抗議政治打壓!

  釋放朱承志!釋放肖勇!釋放李旺玲!釋放趙寶珠!釋放尹正安!

  旺陽烈士,含冤待雪!徹查真相,嚴懲兇徒!

  釋放民運人士!平反八九民運!追究屠城責任!結束一黨專政!建設民主中國!

www.alliance.org.hk
http://www.facebook.com/hka198964
Twitter / Buzz: HKA1989

陈诗韵:香港支联会到中联办示威要求释放朱承志和肖勇

温云超:国际特赦组织已经就朱承志被逮捕发出声明




DOCUMENT - CHINA: FURTHER INFORMATION: CHINESE ACTIVIST HELD INCOMMUNICADO: ZHU CHENGZHI

Further information on UA: 191/12 Index: ASA 17/028/2012 China Date: 10 August 2012
URGENT ACTION
CHINESE ACTIVIST HELD INCOMMUNICADO
Zhu Chengzhi, a 62 year-old human rights activist, has been formally charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ after being detained on 9 June. On 18 June, he was transferred to a detention facility in Hunan province, south-central China, where is being held incommunicado.
On 9 August, Zhu Chengzhi’s wife, Zeng Jinlian, received a notice from the Shaoyang City People’s Procuratorate stating that Zhu Chengzhi has been officially charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’. Zhu Chengzhi was taken away by national security personnel in Shaoyang city on 9 June and was sentenced to administrative detention for 10 days. While his family was anticipating his release, on 18 June, he was transferred to a detention facility in Shuangqing District, Shaoyang city, Hunan province and has since been held incommunicado. As no-one has heard from him since 9 June, his health condition is unknown.
According to Zhu Chengzhi’s friend and fellow activist, Wang Lihong, the reason why Zhu Chengzhi was charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ is because he was found taking pictures at the scene of Li Wangyang’s death and was disseminating those pictures through the internet. Li Wangyang was a prominent dissident who was found dead on 6 June in a hospital in Daxiang district in Shaoyang city, Hunan province, where he was receiving treatment. The local authorities maintain that Li Wangyang’s death was a suicide.The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. On 11 June, tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets in Hong Kong to demand a formal investigation into the circumstances of Li Wangyang’s death.
Please write immediately in English, Chinese or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to drop the charge against Zhu Chengzhi and release him immediately and unconditionally;
Calling on the authorities to ensure that Zhu Chengzhi is not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment while in custody;
Calling on the authorities to ensure Zhu Chengzhi has access to his family, legal representation of his choosing and any medical attention he may require.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 21 SEPTEMBER 2012 TO:
Chief Procurator
GONG Jiahe
Hunan Provincial People’s Procuratorate
410001 Furong District
No.386 Ziweilu
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Chief Procurator
Premier
WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 6596 1109
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
WU Bangguo
Quanguo Renda Changwu Weiyuanhui
Bangongting, 23 Xijiaominxiang
Xichengqu, Beijingshi 100805
People’s Republic of China�
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 191/12. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA17/020/2012/en
URGENT ACTION
CHINESE ACTIVIST HELD INCOMMUNICADO

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Zhu Chengzhi is one of the activists who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, arbitrarily detained, intimidated or harassed for publicly demanding an independent investigation into the death of veteran human rights activist Li Wangyang. On 6 June, Li Wangyang’s body was found in a hospital ward in Daxiang District People’s Hospital in Shaoyang city, where he had been receiving treatment for serious illnesses since his release from prison in May 2011. The local authorities have maintained that Li Wangyang’s death was a suicide, but his family and friends have questioned this. Following domestic and international outcry, on 15 June Hunan Province police announced a task force had been set up to investigate Li Wangyang’s death.
Early in the morning of 6 June, Li Wangyang's sister's husband, Zhao Baozhu, received a telephone call from the hospital saying that Li Wangyang had committed suicide in his ward. He and his wife, Li Wangling, went to the hospital immediately and found Li Wangyang’s dead body in his hospital room. The Shaoyang city authorities have maintained that Li Wangyang committed suicide by hanging himself, but others have disputed this. Photographs taken on 6 June at the hospital showed him positioned standing upright, staring out the window and with his neck tied to the window frame by a strip of cloth. These photographs also showed his feet firmly on the ground and his face showing no signs of suffocation. His relatives have questioned how an almost blind man, unable to walk without assistance could have managed to hang himself.
The police took the body away later on 6 June, though Li Wangyang’s family and relatives protested that it was unclear whether the authorities would allow an independent post-mortem investigation. An autopsy was carried out on 8 June, without Li Wangyang’s family or their lawyer being present. The authorities cremated the body the next day. On 22 June, it was reported that the autopsy report was completed. On 12 July, the authorities published their findings insisting that Li committed suicide; however, the general public remain unconvinced.
Li Wangyang, who was released from prison in May 2011, was a prominent figure in the labour rights movement who had been persecuted by the Chinese authorities for the past two decades. In 1989, he was involved in setting up an independent workers' organization, the Shaoyang Workers' Autonomous Federation, to demand better working conditions for mine workers and other labourers. The same year, he was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for his involvement in the 1989 pro-democracy movement. According to local sources, he was severely beaten by prison guards and held in solitary confinement. He was moved to a hospital in June 1996 to receive treatment but eight months later he was taken back to prison.
Li was released early in June 2000 because of his poor health. He began petitioning the authorities for compensation to cover the cost of medical treatment but in May 2001 he was rearrested after he went on hunger strike. He was given a 10-year sentence for “inciting subversion” and was finally freed in May 2011.
On 22 May 2012, Li gave an interview to a Hong Kong journalist where he spoke about the torture which had left him both blind and almost deaf and unable to move unaided. After this interview, the local authorities intensified their control, stationing more police at the hospital where Li Wangyang was staying.

Global Voices Online: Dissident prosecuted for leaking staged suicide photo




Dissident Zhu Chengzhi [zh] has been charged with inciting the subversion of state power for investigating the death of labour activist Li Wangyang while he was in police custody.
Zhu was given a 10-day detention back in June 6, 2012 under the charge of “disrupting social order” after he distributed a photo of  what many say document a 'staged suicide' on the Internet. However, the Hunan police decided to use a more serious allegation, inciting subversion of state power, for prosecuting him in July 25. For minor cases (inciting to sedition), the penalty is under 5 year-imprisonment, while for more serious cases (sedition), the penalty can be more than 10 years, such as the case of Nobel peace price winner Liu Xiaobo's 11-year-imprisonment sentence.

Who is Zhu Chengzhi?
A website, Free Chengzhi, has been launched to campaign for Zhu freedom since his first arrest in June. One of the website's contributor, Li Huaping offers more details about Zhu's life:
Zhu Chengzhi, a father figure, a Chinese citizen, was born in Shaoyao City at Hunan Province in 1950. I also know that he is of the same age of Li Wangyang, the late activist and one of China’s longest -serving political prisoners. Both Zhu and Li graduated from No. 4th Middle School of Shaoyang. If you meet Zhu in a street, he is one of the million ordinary elders of China. If you pay attention, you’ll notice this elder possesses wisdom.
Zhu Chengzhi speaks slowly. From the calm words, one can feel how firm his belief is. We chatted the inescapable fear: our land, air and water are all ruled by the only ideology. We agree that encouraging more and more people to overcome the fear is an important task. A most important task is that we should be role models. Through ourselves, we can encourage more people to overcome their fear and break silence. When talking about Li Wangyang’s sister Li Wangling, Zhu clearly stated that “The foremost important task for us is to help Wangling overcome her fear.”
Staged Suicide Evidence
According to Zhu's family, the Hunan government decided to punish him with sedition allegations after he refused to sign a document promising not to pursue investigations into Li's death. The official arrest document[zh] was issued on July 25:
Arrest document of Li Chengzhi. Widely circulated in Facebook.
On Weibo, the human rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan comments on Zhu's arrest [zh]:
@刘晓原律师 :朱承志只是关注了卲阳李先生之死,并自拍了一个事件视频,这难道就涉嫌"煽颠"犯罪了吗?邵阳警方太虚弱,也太恐"颠"了吧?用"煽颠"来指控,实在是荒唐!
刘晓原律师: Zhu Chengzhi only showed concern for Mr Li's death and shot a video, how can this be inciting subversion or a crime? The police in Shaoyang is too weak and too terrified… It is absolutely ridiculous to make such an allegation.
Hong Kong based Weibo user Ai Dangzheng says [zh]:
@艾丹誠:今天心情特別差,除了感冒四天還未痊愈,最憤怒看到朱承志被捕消息,那CCTVB只播劉翔動手術消息,真是擦鞋新聞部,劉翔死咗都不關我事!朱承志你要撐住,這個世界愈來愈少你這類正義之士!看完病,現在去幫學民思潮簽名!
@艾丹誠:Today I feel very dreadful. Apart from the lingering flu, the most outrageous news is the arrest of Zhu Chengzhi. CCTVB [Note: the largest TV station in Hong Kong is Television Broadcast (TVB), netizens called it CCTV-B to mock at their self-censored practice] only shows the news about Liu Xiang's surgery. The news department is really good at polishing shoes. I don't care if Liu Xiang died. Zhu Chengzhi, please hang on. We have less and less righteous people like you. Will help out with the signature campaign of Sholarism [zh] after visiting the clinic.
On Twitter, activists are more vocal in expressing their support for Zhu [zh]:
@hesuoge
他为素不相识的人呼喊,他为同学呼喊,其实他是为人性和公义呼喊。他现在正在绞肉机里;我们谁又不是正在进入绞肉机的途中呢?它们妄想用金牌证明自己的合法性,但是他及许许多多人的遭遇,正在表明:这一切是有罪的。请记住并且传播他的名字:朱=承=志!!
@hesuoge He voiced out for those who he doesn't know. He voiced out for his old fellow classmate. He voiced out for humanity and justice. Now he is trapped in the grinding machine and we are on our way to join him. They want to prove their legitimacy with the Olympic golden award, but what happened to Zhu and others is proving that everything is sinful. Please remember to spread his name: Zhu-Cheng-Zhi.
‏@hu_jia
7月25日正是李旺阳被自杀的尾七,在这一天以涉嫌“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”正式逮捕朱承志,只能判定湖南政法委系统和团派的湖南省委书记周强是下了决心挑战公民权利和司法公正。李旺阳案,自此可以合成“李旺阳-朱承志”案了,一脉相承的以煽颠禁民权。
‏@hu_jia July 25 is the last date of 7 days x 7 cycles of Li Wangyang's death [Note: the day when Li's soul is supposed to leave the human world according to Chinese folk belief]. To arrest Zhu Chengzhi under the allegation of “state sedition” shows that the Hunan legal system and party secretary Zhou Qiang are determined to jeopardize citizen rights and legal justice. The case of Li Wangyang can be merged into the “Li Wangyang-Zhu Chengzhi” case, using sedition to deprive citizens of their rights.
@wlh8964
朱承志62岁了,他不喜欢坐牢,也不会像有些人冷血地说,“为了出名吧~”他不过是不愿撒谎,他不过是不愿放弃自己做人的底线。坐牢,这代价太大了,这是生命的代价!不能为他做什么、不想为他做什么就算了,至少不要冷嘲热讽!
@wlh8964 Zhu Chengzhi is now 62. He doesn't like jail. Some cold blooded people said that he is pursuing fame. This is wrong. He just refuses to lie and defends his principles as a human being. The price of jail is too huge. Freedom is life. Even if you are not helping, don't make such sarcastic remarks.
@xiaocao07
我把头像换成了朱承志大哥的,他为拍摄李旺阳之死的视频和照片而被囚禁,他为公民记者的权力付出了最宝贵的代价——自由!
@xiaocao07
I changed my profile picture into Zhu Chengzhi's photo. He was jailed for shooting a video and photo of Li Wangyang's death and he pays the most precious price for a citizen reporter's right — Freedom!