ICPC WiPC Protests the Severe Sentence of Cyber-writer Huang Jinqiu

September 30, 2004

The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) is outraged by the severe sentence of Mr. HUANG Jinqiu, a well- known overseas Chinese cyber-writer. On September 27, (the Eve of Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival), Huang was sentenced by the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court, Jiangsu Province, China, on the charge of "subversion of state power" to twelve years imprisonment and four years deprivation of political rights.

The thirty year old Huang was a journalist in China before studying in Malaysia . While as a student in Malaysia , he became well read author of hundreds of political commentaries published on the internet under his Internet name of Qing Shui Jun (Mr. Clear Water). During a trip to China for a family visit and conducting a social survey, Huang was arrested on September 13, 2003 by the police at the Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province. On June 22, 2004, Changzhou Intermediate People's Court brought Huang Jinqiu to trial on the change of "subversion of state power". Huang and his attorney Mr. GUO Guoting made very strong defense and pleaded not guilty. As there were not sufficient evidences provided by prosecution, a verdict was not reached. Three months later, the prosecution brought more “evidences”, the court handed Huang a heavy sentence of twelve years imprisonment for his role “[as] a leader of Chinese Patriotic Democracy Party, and having published a large number of reactionary articles, having recruited the party members, organized, plotted and performed the subverting of the state power in China as well as overthrowing the socialist system in China.” The sentence further stated, “[His] behaviors have constituted the offense of subverting the state power and his crimes have been very serious”.

The ICPC WiPC considers Huang Jinqiu to be sentenced solely for the peaceful expression of his opinions and therefore, the sentencing of Mr. Huang Jinqiu by Changzhou Intermediate People's Court is in contravention not only of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also of Article 35 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, and so it has seriously violated the constitution rights of Huang Jinqiu, as a Chinese citizen, the freedoms of expression, publication, assembly and association. We call the High People's Court of Jiangsu Province to ensure Huang Jinqiu's right to appeal and to reverse the ruling of Changzhou Intermediate People's Court, thus to release Huang Jinqiu immediately and unconditionally.