30 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A prominent Chinese professor at the Beijing Film Academy, has been barred from leaving China to travel to America. Cui Weiping was due to give a lecture at Harvard, and attend a conference in Philadelphia. Although authorities at her university have not provided her with a reason for her travel restrictions, Cui has speculated that the refusal is due to posts she made on her blog, and Tweets she made in support of imprisoned writer and activist Liu Xiaobo. To help petition her banning, contact NEAR for more information.
12 Feb 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo’s‘s appeal against a 11-year prison sentence rejected by a court in Beijing. Liu was convicted six weeks ago on charges of subversion, to widespread international condemnation. Roseann Rife, the deputy director for Asia and the Pacific at Amnesty International said, “His harsh sentence is a stark reminder to the Chinese people and the world that there is still no freedom of expression or independent judiciary in China.” Read Liu’s final statement to the court.
The denial of Liu’s appeal is another signal that China’s leaders are unwilling to tolerate greater pluralism.
Yesterday, a 20-year-old factory worker who joined a banned political party because he was unhappy with one-party rule was sentenced to jail for 18 months. A court in Shenzhen found Xue Mingkai guilty of subversion of state power because he joined the US-based China Democracy party last April.
25 Dec 09 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on 25 December. He was charged with subversion after his part in the drafting of Charter 08, a document calling for free speech and the rule of law. Western journalists and diplomats were prohibited from attending the trial, which was condemned by free expression and human rights campaigners.
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09 Dec 09 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
Police in China have recommended that prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo be formally charged with subversion. He has been held in jail for over a year without charges and previously served 20 months for his part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The author has been an outspoken critic of the Chinese government for many years and was eventually arrested in December 2008 after creating the Charter 08 petition, a manifesto urging political reform. Read more here
