2015-09-30
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Activist and businessman Huang Yongxiang in undated photo.
Photo courtesy of Chen Keyun.
Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have released on ‘bail’ four activists who launched a T-shirt campaign in support of detained human rights lawyers, amid an ongoing crackdown on the country’s embattled legal profession.
Police in Guangdong’s Zengcheng city had detained Liu Yajie (also known as Liu Jinlian), Huang Xi, Lai Rifu, Wei Xiaobing, and Huang Yongxiang after they created campaign T-shirts calling for the release of detained human rights attorney Wang Yu.
While Huang Xi was released soon after his initial detention, the authorities released Huang Yongxiang, Wei, Liu, and Lai after they were granted bail on Tuesday, an activist known by his online nickname Zhouzhou Zhuzhou told RFA.
“They got out at around 7.00 p.m. yesterday,” the activist said. “They have already sent out messages on [the smartphone messaging app] WeChat.”
Huang Yongxiang said in a later interview that police questioning had focused on the mailing of a single T-shirt.
“It was because we were showing support for the lawyer detained since July 10,” Huang said. “They basically wanted to know where we had sent the T-shirts, because they want to get them all back.”
“I was held under criminal detention, and now I’m out on bail.”
Huang said there are strict conditions attached to the release of the activists, who are still regarded as criminal suspects.
“If we leave the Guangzhou area, we have to report to the police, and they expect us to report to the local police station at regular intervals,” he said.
While in detention, the activists were denied access to lawyers on the grounds that their actions had “harmed state security.”
Lawyer’s access denied
As the Guangzhou activists were getting out, police in the central province of Hubei formally arrested detained New Citizens’ Movement activist Yi Xu’an on charges of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble.”
“The rule of law team at the Daye city police department and the Daye Detention Center have made it very clear that I won’t be able to meet with my client,” Yi’s lawyer Lin Qilei told RFA on Tuesday. “They said that’s not going to happen.”
Lin said there is no provision in China’s judicial regulations to deny access to a lawyer for such charges, which he said were unfounded.
