ICPC Statement to Protest Severe Sentence of Its Member Zhu Yufu

10 February, 2012
 
Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) is alarmed to have learnt that its member Mr. ZHU Yufu has been sentenced this afternoon by Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court, Zhejiang Province in eastern China, to 7 years imprisonment with further 3 years deprivation of political rights for “inciting subversion of the state power “ after the trial on 31 January. The conviction based on his speech published in the overseas Chinese websites, and interviews with the foreign media and collecting money for other prisoners of conscience.

ICPC considers that Zhu’s conviction is a serious violation of Article 35 of China’s own Constitution as well as Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which China is a signatory to ensure the basic human rights including the freedoms of speech, indicating that the Chinese authorities continue to abuse, Article 105 of China’s Criminal Law on “inciting subversion”, a notorious law item, which the authority uses to criminalize the those who fulfill their obligations as a citizen in general and responsibilities as a writer in particular. Its another outrageous record to the heavy sentence after the sentence of 9-year imprisonment of Mr. Chen Wei, ICPC’s honorary member and a recipient of its 2011 Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award, and the sentence of 10-year imprisonment of Mr. Chen Xi, and the sentence of 10-year imprisonment of Mr. Li Tie within a month, respectively  before and after Christmas 2011. Zhu Yufu’s case has made another new sign of China’s “literary inquisition” and the continuous deteriorating of human rights situation in China. Therefore, ICPC expresses its strong protest and calls on Chinese authorities to ensure Mr. Zhu’s legal rights to appeal against the verdict and his freedom from any abuses during his remaining in custody. Further more, ICPC calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Zhu Yufu.
 
Zhu Yufu, 59, is a freelancer and prominent human rights activist in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. He has already been sentenced twice before and served a total of nine years in prison for his peaceful dissident expression and activism. In the end of 1978, Zhu took part in the “democracy wall” movement in Hangzhou and founded “5th April”-magazine and was elected to be the head of the magazine. He had been summoned and his home raided by police several times. In 1989, he was detained for some time for supporting the student movement. In 1998, Zhu co-founded Zhejiang Preparatory Committee of China Democracy Party, founded and edited “the Opposition Party” magazine of the Zhejiang Preparatory Committee of China Democracy Party’s. He has been elected as Secretary General of the Executive Working Group of Zhejiang Preparatory Committee and member of the National Preparatory Committee of China Democracy Party. He was detained on 19 June, 1999 and under “resident surveillance” later and was formally arrested on 15 September,1999. He was then sentenced 7 years imprisonment with further 3 years deprivation of political rights for subversion of the state power. He was released on 15 September, 2006 and harassed repeatedly by police because of publishing articles, which he expressed his political thoughts. He was arrested again on 18 April, 2007 and sentenced two years for “interference to public affairs”. He was released on 18 April, 2009 and then became member of ICPC two months later. On 5 March, 2011, Zhu Yufu was detained for “inciting subversion of state power” after the police raided his home and confiscated two computers and others. He was formally arrested on 11 April. His lawyer said the main reason for the indictment was a poem he had published online calling for people to gather. A verse reads: “It’s time, Chinese people!/ the square belongs to everyone/ the feet are yours/ it’s time to use your feet and take to the square to make a choice.” The Hangzhou Procuratorate had withdrawn on October last year due to insufficient evidence to prosecute. But in the end of the year Hangzhou Public Security Bureau had submitted the case to the Procuratorate again. The Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court gave a trial on 31 January and sentenced on 10 February. In the past over 30 years, Zhu first joined the “democracy wall” movement in 1978. In the following years, he maintained his very courage to defend human rights and free expression without fearing to go to jail repeatedly. Now he has to face again the long-term imprisonment, he will be released in 2018, when he turns to be 66.

ICPC has also learnt that ICPC member Qin Yongmin has lost contact with others recently and his whereabouts is unknown, and ICPC member Wu Yilong has forced to return his hometown in Anhui Province from Hangzhou railway station through the  Hangzhou police today. In addition, according to foreign media’s reports, three independent writers: 70-year old Lu Jiaping and his wife Yu Junyi and 58-year old Jin Andi were arrested in January last year and were sentenced to 10 years and 3 years (suspended 5 years) and 8 years imprisonment for “inciting subversion of State power” on 13 May last year after secret trial in Beijing becauce of their internet writing and publishing. Gao Chunlian, a 57-year old teacher in Hubei Province who was arrested in February last year for looking around “Jasmine walk” and Cao Haibo, a 27-year old Internet Cafe Manager who was arrested in October last year in Yunnan province for establishing Zhenhua online community, both face to trial on suspicion of “inciting subversion of the state power “. ICPC strongly protests the Chinese authorities suppress ICPC members and other writers who exercise their rights of freedom of speech continuously, worries about Cao Haibo and Gao Chunlian would became new victims of “literary inquisition”, calls on all communities in China and abroad to pay close attention to the deterioration of freedom of expression in China, and urges the Chinese authorities to release Lu Jiaping, Jin Andi, Gao Chunlian and Cao Haibo, and all of others imprisoned for their words, including ICPC members Zhu Yufu, Liu Xiaobo, Shi Tao and Yang Tongyan.
 
PEN International is the oldest human rights organization and international literary organization. ICPC is among its 145 member centers and aims to protect writers’ freedom of expression and freedom to write worldwide and advocates for the rights of writers and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted or harassed in China particularly.
 
For more information, contact
Dr. Yu Zhang,
Executive Secretary and Coordinator for Press & Translation Committee (P&TC)
Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC)
Tel:  46-8-50022792
Email: yuzhang08@live.se
Websites: http://www.penchinese.org/english/ & http://liuxiaobo.eu/