RAPID ACTION NETWORK

22 February 2005

RAN 07/05

People's Republic of China: Cyber-dissident Huang Jinqiu Reportedly iIl-treated


International Pen's Writers in Prison Committee, is alarmed about reports of the ill-treatment of dissident internet writer, Huang Jinqiu, who is currently serving a 12-year prison term. PEN considers Huang's detention to be in direct violation of his right to freedom of expression and is calling for his immediate release.

According to reports received by PEN's Writers in Prison Committee, the dissident Chinese writer, Huang Jinqiu, has been subjected to ill-treatment in Pukou Prison, near Nanjing City, approximately 200 km from Shanghai. Sources suggest that Huang Jinqiu is in great pain, and is at risk of a mental breakdown. According to reports, he has also been denied books and is being held with criminals who have been encouraged to abuse him by the prison authorities. Huang Jinqiu's ill-treatment comes at a time when he is trying to renew his appeal against his sentence, and sources suggest, that the prison administration may be trying to intimidate him into dropping any further legal proceedings against his 12-year prison term. His first appeal was rejected without a hearing.

Background

Huang Jinqiu was arrested on 13 September 2003. He had just returned to China in August 2003 following three years overseas on a scholarship studying journalism at the Central Academy of Art in Malaysia. While in Malaysia, he became well known in the overseas Chinese internet community for his essays which were published on the Chinese-language news website 'Boxun.com' under the pen-name Qing Shuijun (Mr Clear Water).

Huang Jinqiu's trial began on 22 June 2004, and he was convicted on 27 September 2004 for "organising, planning and performing subversion of state power by publishing a large number of reactionary articles on the Internet in his capacity as a member of the preparatory committee of the China Patriotic Democratic Party". He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Huang Jinqiu trained at the Lu Xun Literature Institute, a leading writing school. He has worked as a journalist and editor of several newspapers and magazines since the age of 18. His essays have been collected into two publications, one that is non-political, and published under his real name, and the other, a collection of political commentaries, published for security reasons under his pen-name Qing Shuijun.

Please send appeals:
-Expressing alarm at the reported ill-treatment of Huang Jinqiu
-Seeking assurances that he will be given immediate access to medical care
-Pointing out that Huang's detention is in direct violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which China is a signatory
- Calling for his immediate and unconditional release

Appeals to:
His Excellency Hu Jintao
President of the People's Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R.China.

His Excellency Zhang Fusen
Minister of Justice
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyang-qu
Beijing-shi 100020
P.R.China.

Please note that fax numbers are no longer available for the Chinese authorities, so you may wish to ask the diplomatic representative for China in your country to forward your appeals.

For further information, please contact Sara Whyatt at the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN, 9/10 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7AT, United Kingdom. Tel:+44(0) 207 253 3226 Fax: +44 (0) 207 253 5711 email:swhyatt@wipcpen.org.

Last updated: February 24, 2005