March 15, 2005

Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) is alarmed to know from family members of ICPC member Yan Zhengxue that Yan Zhengxue has disappeared ever since March 8th, 2005 when he was first beaten by the policemen at the Jiaojiang Court, Zhejiang Province, China, and then taken away by the policemen to an unknown place. ICPC is now seriously concerned about Yan Zhengxue's well being. ICPC condemns the local police authorities and the Jiaojiang Court for violating Yan Zhengxue's basic huamn rights, thus breaking a contract against the law of China and international conventions on human rights. ICPC is hereby to state the most serious protest!

According to the information provided by Yan Zhengxue's family members, about 8.00 a.m. on March 8, 2005, Yan Zhengxue went to Jiaojiang Court of Zhejiang Province to pick up the sentence document of the second trial of a case he raised against the local authorities. While asking for an extra copy he argued with some officials there, then two policemen came to beat him, kicked on his waist. Later, about ten policemen swarmed forward to beat him. His hands were wounded and bleed. His cloth was tore into pieces. Then policemen put Yan into a small cage and took him away. That cage was only 90 cm long, 120 cm high and 60 cm in width. Since then his family members have not heard about him up to the date. Some information tells that Yan is held at the prison of Jiaojiang District of Taizhou City but this has not been confirmed yet.

Yan Zhengxue is a well known artist, author of several books and his exhibitions of paintings have been held both in China and abroad, particularly his paintings about his years in prison of an earlier sentence. He is particularly famous for bravely raising lawsuit against authorities, for example, agaisnt the police department of Jiaojiang County, City Planning Beauro of Taizhou City, Procuratorate of Taizhou City, etc, and made these authorities very embarrassed. It can be believed that it is a planned revenge on Yan by these authorities to torture him.

Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) demands an immediate release of its member Yan Zhengxue, and appeals to the local authorites to investigate the case and give Yan Zhengxue a justified treatment. ICPC will also report this case to International PEN, and appeal to all PEN centres in the world to condemn this persecution of a PEN member.