[nfbwatlk] Chen Guangcheng

[Carl Jarvis]

From Amnesty International
Thursday, June 21, 2007

URGENT ACTION

China: Torture/Medical concern/Prisoner of conscience, Chen Guangcheng
(m)
21 June 2007

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Chen Guangcheng (m), aged 35, human rights
defender

Jailed human rights defender Chen Guangcheng was severely beaten by other
prisoners on the orders of prison guards on 16 June, and denied medical
treatment. He has begun a hunger strike in protest, refusing water as
well as
food. Amnesty International believes his life is in danger, and that he
is at
risk of further torture and ill-treatment.

His wife visited him at the Linyi City Prison on 19 June. He told her
that
after he refused to have his head shaved, six other prisoners had pushed
him to
the floor, encouraged by prison guards, and hit and kicked him hard. He
said
his ribs hurt and thought one might be broken. He began his hunger strike
that
day.

He said he was being punished for "being disobedient" due to his
insistence on
filing an appeal to the provincial higher court. Since Chen Guangcheng
has been
blind since birth he requires the assistance of his lawyer or his wife to
help
him draft his appeal. However the prison authorities have refused to
permit
either his lawyer or his wife to visit him for longer than 30 minutes per
month, making it impossible for Chen Guangcheng to prepare an appeal.

The prison authorities have refused his family's request to give him
medical
attention, including an X-ray to check for broken bones.

Chen Guangcheng is a self-taught lawyer. He helped villagers to take
legal
action against the Linyi city authorities, who had allegedly been forcing
women
to have abortions so as to meet birth quotas set by central government.
He had
been under house arrest since September 2005. (See UA 271/05, ASA
17/037/2005,
14 October 2005 and follow-ups.) In August 2006, after a grossly unfair
trial,
he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for "damaging
public
property and gathering people to block traffic".

Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, jailed
solely for
his peaceful activities in defence of human rights.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Chen Guangcheng is one example of a disturbing pattern of Chinese lawyers
and
activists being subjected to conviction and imprisonment after unfair
trials.
The pattern continues despite promises by the Chinese authorities to
improve
human rights in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.

Despite several measures introduced to curb the practice, torture and
ill-treatment remain widespread in China. Common methods include kicking,
beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful
positions and sleep and food-deprivation.

Amnesty International remains deeply concerned that human rights
defenders who
attempt to report more widely on violations, challenge policies which are
deemed politically sensitive or try to rally others to their cause face
serious
risk of abuse.

Urgent Actions

Amnesty International's global Urgent Action network provides an
effective and rapid means of preventing some of the most life-threatening
human rights
violations against individuals. Join the Urgent Action network

LINK:
http://www.amnesty.org/urgentaction

AI Index: ASA 17/022/2007        21 June 2007

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170222007

-------------- next part --------------
From Amnesty International
Thursday, June 21, 2007
 
URGENT ACTION
 
China: Torture/Medical concern/Prisoner of conscience, Chen Guangcheng
(m)
21 June 2007
 
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Chen Guangcheng (m), aged 35, human rights
defender
 
Jailed human rights defender Chen Guangcheng was severely beaten by other
prisoners on the orders of prison guards on 16 June, and denied medical
treatment. He has begun a hunger strike in protest, refusing water as
well as
food. Amnesty International believes his life is in danger, and that he
is at
risk of further torture and ill-treatment.
 
His wife visited him at the Linyi City Prison on 19 June. He told her
that
after he refused to have his head shaved, six other prisoners had pushed
him to
the floor, encouraged by prison guards, and hit and kicked him hard. He
said
his ribs hurt and thought one might be broken. He began his hunger strike
that
day.
 
He said he was being punished for "being disobedient" due to his
insistence on
filing an appeal to the provincial higher court. Since Chen Guangcheng
has been
blind since birth he requires the assistance of his lawyer or his wife to
help
him draft his appeal. However the prison authorities have refused to
permit
either his lawyer or his wife to visit him for longer than 30 minutes per
month, making it impossible for Chen Guangcheng to prepare an appeal.
 
The prison authorities have refused his family's request to give him
medical
attention, including an X-ray to check for broken bones.
 
Chen Guangcheng is a self-taught lawyer. He helped villagers to take
legal
action against the Linyi city authorities, who had allegedly been forcing
women
to have abortions so as to meet birth quotas set by central government.
He had
been under house arrest since September 2005. (See UA 271/05, ASA
17/037/2005,
14 October 2005 and follow-ups.) In August 2006, after a grossly unfair
trial,
he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for "damaging
public
property and gathering people to block traffic".
 
Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, jailed
solely for
his peaceful activities in defence of human rights.
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 
Chen Guangcheng is one example of a disturbing pattern of Chinese lawyers
and
activists being subjected to conviction and imprisonment after unfair
trials.
The pattern continues despite promises by the Chinese authorities to
improve
human rights in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.
 
Despite several measures introduced to curb the practice, torture and
ill-treatment remain widespread in China. Common methods include kicking,
beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful
positions and sleep and food-deprivation.
 
Amnesty International remains deeply concerned that human rights
defenders who
attempt to report more widely on violations, challenge policies which are
deemed politically sensitive or try to rally others to their cause face
serious
risk of abuse.
 
Urgent Actions
 
Amnesty International's global Urgent Action network provides an
effective and rapid means of preventing some of the most life-threatening
human rights
violations against individuals. Join the Urgent Action network
 
LINK:
http://www.amnesty.org/urgentaction http://www.amnesty.org/urgentaction
 
AI Index: ASA 17/022/2007        21 June 2007
 
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170222007 http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170222007