Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

China court sentences writer/activist to 2 1/2 years on impersonation and fraud charges

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Human rights group Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) on Tuesday reported that Chinese activist and blogger Chen Qitang was sentenced last month to two-and-a-half years in prison for impersonation and fraud. According to the group, Chen's wife Zhang Yueqing learned of his sentence when she called the Foshan Court in Guangdong Province in order to get information on her husband's situation. She was informed that he had already been tried and sentenced, apparently without a lawyer. CHRD claims that Chen's arrest and conviction are in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and thus unlawful. The government initially refused to comment but promised to release additional information within the next two days.  Chen was initially detained in October 2007 and was formally arrested in December of that year. His detention occurred shortly after he made disparaging remarks about the Chinese government on his blog, while he was helping villagers in Sanshan Village, Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province draft legal documents appealing the confiscation of their land by the local government. The Chinese government has detained and convicted other activists. China recently released activist Hu Shigen after he served 16 years of a 20 year sentence. Last April China denied the appeal of Hu Jia, despite allegations of torture, and imprisoned his supporter Teng Biao for two days without charge. 

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 06, 2009 (boomark / email).