Don’t Forget Chinese Defenders Once the Olympic Crowds Go Home

Don’t Forget Chinese Defenders Once the Olympic Crowds Go Home

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Police detained one of China’s most celebrated lawyers, Gao Zhisheng, at his home on September 22, 2007 and took him to an unknown location. He was later released and placed under house arrest. His current whereabouts are unclear, though he is believed to be under surveillance.

The detention came after Gao wrote an open letter to the U.S. Congress criticizing China for using the Olympics to crack down on human rights. During his detention from September to early November, Gao was reportedly tortured.

When the Olympics come to a close, the international attention will fade without China fulfilling its promises to improve its record on human rights. Gao is just one of many human rights defenders subjected to legal harassment, violence, arbitrary detention, and torture. Other cases include:

- Chen Guangcheng is a blind self-taught lawyer and activist currently serving a four year and three month prison sentence. He was detained in 2005 for helping residents of Linyi city (in Shandong province) file a lawsuit against the local government for coercive family planning practices. Chen’s wife Yuan Weijing and their daughter have been under house arrest for three years and have recently faced heavily increased surveillance due to the Olympics.

- Wang Ling is a Beijing housing rights activist currently serving a 15-month sentence in a Re-education through Labor (RTL) camp. Working with another prominent activist, Ye Guozhu, she has petitioned and protested against the destruction of property to make way for Olympics-related construction.

As the Olympic Games wind down, the international pressure on China to comply with its human rights commitments is also likely to diminish. However, human rights defenders like Gao, Chen, and Wang will continue to be harassed under China’s repressive regime.

Please call on the Chinese government to promptly stop the harassment of all human rights activists, and to release Chen and Wang immediately.

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