The Chinese government protested against the decision of European Union to grant the Sakharov Prize to Mr. Hu Jia, who was convicted under the charge of “inciting subversion of the state power” and has been jailed since April 2008.  After the award was given with the absence of Hu Jia, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Liu Jianchao, alleged that the award and the criticism on human rights situation in China was interference to China’s internal affairs.

Zeng Jinyan, Hu’s wife, said she was informed by telephone call from the Beijing Municipal Prison on 18 December that she has been barred from visiting Hu in January and no one was allowed to see him.  Apparently, it was a punishment to the couple who refuse to be silent about human rights violations.

To support human rights defenders in China, UA080125(1) was issued in January 2008 to call for the release of Mr. Hu Jia and to urge the government stop harassing human rights defenders’ families.


Sources:
Mingpao (Hong Kong-based newspaper)

Hotline Asia applauds the prominent political prisoner, Mr. Hu Jia, who was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought of the European Union (EU) on 23 October 2008, the eve of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing.  The Chinese authorities accused Mr. Hu of working with foreign forces to disrupt the Beijing Olympics.  He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in April 2008 under the charge of subversion.

While the prestigious human rights award was regarded as positive recognition to Mr. Hu, as well as other human rights defenders in China, the Chinese government regretted the decision of the EU.  Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mr. Liu Jianchao, condemned that the prize was given to a “convicted criminal” and denounced it as an act to intervene China’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, another human rights defender Mr. Guo Feixiong (aka Yang Maodong) was obstructed from appealing.  Mr. Guo was sentenced to five years imprisonment under the charge of “illegal business activity” in 2007 after he served as legal advisor to oust the corrupt village chief in Taishi Village, Guangdong Province, in 2005.

On 20 October 2008, Mr. Guo’s lawyer, Mr. Hu Xiao, who appealed for him on the basis that his confession was extracted under torture, but was not permitted to meet his client.  Prior to this incident, Mr. Guo’s wife, Ms Zhang Qing, revealed that the Chinese authorities have been hindering Mr. Guo from appealing, for instance, his communication with lawyers were intercepted by the authorities.

To call for an end to harassment of human rights defenders in China, Hotline Asia issued UA080125(1) in January 2008.


Sources:
World Organization against Torture
Human Rights in China

Hotline Asia issued UA080125(1) in January 2008 requesting the authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of imprisoned rights defender, Hu Jia, and call for his release.

Hu suffers from cirrhosis of the liver due to chronic hepatitis B.  On her blog, his wife Zeng Jinyan has documented the worsening of Hu's health in prison, but prison authorities have repeatedly denied him medical care at a specialized center.  Recently, on 16 September 2008, prison authorities replied to Zeng that her husband cannot receive permission for medical leave because "he is disobedient" since he refuses to be "calm", and he violated prison rules.  In early October, Human Rights Watch called for Hu's immediate release, or at least that he be taken where he can receive the necessary medical care.


Source:
AsiaNews

Earlier this year, Hotline Asia issued UA080125(1) to urge the Chinese authorities to alleviate the plight of human rights defenders, such as Mr. Guo Feixiong (aka Yang Maodong) and Mr. Hu Jia, and stop any acts of harassment against their families.

Zhang Qing, the wife of imprisoned rights defender Guo Feixiong has published an open letter on 29 June 2008 to Premier Wen Jiabao urging him to consider the plight of Guo's son and daughter, who are being barred by the Guangzhou authorities from enrolling in school.

In her letter, Zhang recounted how the Guangzhou police had previously threatened Guo Feixiong that they would prevent his children from attending school.  Zhang described how she went to register her son Yang Tiance at Hua Kang primary school on the first day of enrollment for this year, but his name did not appear on the list of accepted students and Zhang was told by the school in mid-June that she had to wait but has heard nothing by the end of June.  Her son, who was supposed to begin primary one in 2007, has already been denied enrollment for more than a year, and Zhang now fears her son will be shut out for yet another year.  Zhang also said her daughter, Yang Tianjiao, was prevented from attending Tianhe No. 47 Middle school on the fictitious pretext of insufficient space.

Human Rights in China, which Ms Zhang has authorized to publish the open letter, calls on the local authorities to carry out its domestic legal obligations in the Constitution, as well as its international obligations, including the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which provides for the right to education for every child.

Concerned groups had lost contact with Ms. Zeng Jinyan, wife of Beijing-based human rights activist Hu Jia, since 7 August 2008.  Efforts taken to contact Ms. Zeng Jinyan since the eve of the Olympics Opening Ceremony have failed.  There are fears that Ms. Zeng Jinyan might have been taken away arbitrarily from Beijing to ensure that no journalists have access to her and that she would not be able to give interviews during the Olympic Games.


Source:
Human Rights in China
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)

Hu Jia was convicted of “inciting subversion of the state power” on 3 April 2008. A Beijing intermediate court told Mr. Li Jinsong, Hu’s lawyer, that Hu had decided not to appeal.Under Chinese law, Hu had 10 days after the initial verdict to appeal, but Li was prevented from meeting him on 13 April 2008, the last day for him to lodge an appeal. Li last talked to Hu on 4 April 2008, when the activist indicated it would be futile to appeal.

In response to the arbitrary detention and imprisonment of several human rights defenders in China, including Mr. Hu Jia, Hotline Asia issued UA080125(1) in January 2008.

Source:
AFP

Rights defender Mr. Hu Jia’s family was informed of his formal arrest on 30 January 2008. He was charged with “inciting subversion of state power.”

Hotline Asia issued UA080125(1) in January 2008 to urge for the release of several human rights defenders, including Mr. Hu Jia, as their detention or imprisonment is arbitrary.

Source:
Human Rights in China