20 June 2005

Alert

Cyber-dissident Zhang Lin to go on trial for posting articles online, including lyrics to a punk song


Incident details

Zhang Lin

web dissident(s)

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(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested against the seriousness of charges laid against cyber-dissident Zhang Lin, whose in camera trial is scheduled for 21 June 2005.

"How can posting articles online, including the lyrics of a punk song, constitute a threat to national security? It is absurd!" RSF said.

According to the organisation Human Rights in China (HRIC), the cyber-dissident is facing possible life imprisonment. The charge sheet drawn up by the prosecutor says that the content of the articles posted by Zhang "opposed the basic principles of the Constitution, damaged national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, spread falsehoods, disturbed social order and damaged social stability".

The charge quotes the words of a song by the Chinese punk group Pangu, posted online by Zhang.

Zhang was arrested on 29 January at Bengbu station, in Anhui province, west of Shanghai, as he was returning from Beijing, where he went hoping to present his condolences to the family of Zhao Ziyang, a former Communist Party leader who died shortly beforehand.

Zhang is currently being held in Bengbu's Number 1 Detention Centre. RSF is concerned about his state of health and prison conditions. He has undertaken two hunger strikes to protest the ill-treatment he has been suffering.

Zhang's lawyer, Mo Shaoping, has not been allowed to visit him, and the court rejected his request for a public trial.



Source

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

More on this case

Cyberdissident Zhang Lin ends hunger strike 13 October 2005 WiPC concerned about health of imprisoned writer on hunger strike 21 September 2005 Imprisoned Internet journalist on hunger strike 7 September 2005 Internet essayist Zhang Lin sentenced to five years in prison 3 August 2005 Cyber-dissident pleads not guilty to "inciting subversion" charges at five-hour trial 22 June 2005 Political essayist Zhang Lin formally arrested; Internet journalist Zheng Yichun imprisoned since December 2004 25 March 2005 Cyber-dissident Zhang Lin held in "criminal detention" 16 February 2005 Police arrest cyber-dissident Zhang Lin 8 February 2005

China

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