CHINA

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng was detained in Shandong Province on 15 August by police officers from Beijing. He is believed to be held incommunicado at an unknown location and is at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

Gao Zhisheng was detained while visiting his sister’s house in Dongying City, Shandong Province. His sister has reportedly been warned not to tell anybody about his detention. The police have reportedly provided no reason for his detention to his family, but on 18 August the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Gao Zhisheng was detained on suspicion of engaging in unspecified criminal activities. It is unclear where he is being held.

Gao Zhisheng’s wife and two children have reportedly been confined to their home in Beijing by police officers who have been standing guard around their house since Gao Zhisheng was detained. They are prohibited from contacting anybody receiving visitors or contacting anyone. On 20 August, human rights lawyer Teng Biao and academic Jiao Guobiao attempted to visit Gao Zhisheng’s wife and daughter. They managed to talk to his daughter briefly but she was quickly taken back into the house by a police officer guarding the home. Immediately afterwards, the police took both Teng Biao and Jiao Guobiao to Xiaoguan Police Station in Chaoyang District. They were released after around one hour of questioning. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In November 2005, the operations of the Shengzhi Law Office were suspended by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice for one year. One month later, Gao Zhisheng’s licence to practice law was revoked. These events appear to be linked to his work in defence of activists, and in particular his publication of an open letter calling for religious freedom and an end to the ‘barbaric’ persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Since then he has been subjected to continuous surveillance and other forms of harassment and intimidation by the authorities. In January 2006, Gao Zhisheng survived an apparent attempt on his life when he almost collided with a car (see original UA). He believed the incident was instigated by the authorities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Gao Zhisheng is a director of the Beijing-based Shengzhi Law Office. He has
taken on several high-profile cases and defended a number of activists,
including human rights activist Yang Maodong (the subject of UA 32/06, ASA
17/008/2006, 9 February 2006 and follow-ups), Zheng Yichun, a journalist and
former professor, sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for his online
writings; and Pastor Cai Zhuohua, who has been imprisoned for three years for
‘illegal business practices’, including printing and selling copies of the
Bible.

In November 2005, the operations of the Shengzhi Law Office were suspended by
the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice for one year. One month later, Gao
Zhisheng's licence to practice law was revoked. These events appear to be
linked to his work in defence of activists, and in particular his publication
of an open letter calling for religious freedom and an end to the ‘barbaric’
persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Since then he has been
subjected to continuous surveillance and other forms of harassment and
intimidation by the authorities. In January 2006, Gao Zhisheng survived an
apparent attempt on his life when he almost collided with a car (see original
UA). He believed the incident was instigated by the authorities.

RECOMMENDED ACTION : Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language :

·         urging the authorities to guarantee the safety of Gao Zhisheng ;

·         calling on the authorities to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the allegations of the attempt on Gao Zhisheng’s life, with a view of bringing those found guilty to justice ;

·         urging the authorities to allow Gao Zhisheng to continue his peaceful human rights activities free from fear of hindrance, harassment, intimidation or arbitrary detention, and to restore his license to practice law ;

·         calling on the authorities to ensure that all human rights defenders in China are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities in line with constitutional guarantees on the protection of human rights and international human rights standards.

APPEALS TO :

Director of the Shanghai Bureau of Justice

MIAO Xiaobao Juzhang

Shanghaishi Sifaju

225 Wuxinglu

Shanghaishi 200030

People’s Republic of China

Email : contact_us@eastday.com

webmaster@justice.gov.cn

jijianjiancha@eastday.com

Fax : + 86 21 64743029

Salutation : Dear Director

Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China

WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli

The State Council

9 Xihuangcheng Genbeijie

Beijingshi 100032

People’s Republic of China

Email : gazette@mail.gov.cn

Fax : + 86 10 65292345 (c/o Ministry of Communication)

Salutation : Your Excellency

COPIES TO :

Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government

HAN Zheng Shizhang

Shanghaishi Renmin Zhengfu

30 Fuzhoulu

Shanghaishi 200002

People’s Republic of China

Email : webmaster@shanghai.gov.cn