Case List of Imprisoned Writers for 2009 (continued)
as prepared by International PEN Writers in Prison Committee
(Details current up to 30 June 2009)

ASIA PACIFIC
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AFGHANISTAN
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Imprisoned: Main cases

Sayed Parwez KAMBAKHSH:
Profession: Student at Balkh university and reporter for the local daily Jahan-e-Naw (The New World).
Date of arrest: 27 October 2007.
Sentence: Death sentence, commuted to twenty years in prison.
Details of arrest: Arrested in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province, northern Afghanistan for distributing allegedly anti-Islamic literature. He was detained by National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces on blasphemy charges after allegedly downloading and giving to friends an article claiming that the Prophet Mohammed ignored women’s rights. He was not the author of the article. He was also reportedly accused of possessing anti-Islamic books and starting un-Islamic debates in his classes.
Details of trial: He was tried by an Islamic court in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh Province, on 22 January 2008, and sentenced initially to death. The trial was reportedly held behind closed doors, and he had no legal representation. On 21 October 2008, the death penalty was commuted to twenty-years in prison on appeal, although the conviction for blasphemy was upheld. On 8 February 2009 the twentyyear prison sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court at a closed hearing. Nether Kambakhsh or his defence were present at the hearing, and were informed about the court ruling only on 8 March 2009.
Place of detention: Initially, he was detained in Pul-e-Sharkhi jail, east of the capital city. On 27 March 2008 he was transferred to Kabul.
Other information: He is feared to be targeted for association with his brother, prominent journalist Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, who works for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting and has been under escalating pressure for his critical reporting on local officials and warlords. [RAN 2/08 and updates]
Honorary member of: Italian PEN.

Ahmed Ghous ZALMAI and Mohammad Ateef NOORI
Profession: Journalist and publisher respectively.
Date of arrest: October 2007 and 18 November 2007 respectively.
Expires: October 2027 and 17 November 2012 respectively.
Details of arrest: Arrested for publishing a vernacular translation of the Koran. Zalmai claims that a copy of the translation was brought to the Tamim-e-Ansar Mosque, Kabul, by an unknown individual in September 2007, and was very well received by those present at the gathering. He was asked to use his position as a well-known journalist and head of the publication department of the Attorney General’s office to find a way to publish more copies of the translation. After obtaining the approval of Mullah Qari Mushtaq, leader of the Tamim-e-Ansar Mosque, he found a publisher. However, following the publication of the translation, fundamentalist groups, parliamentarians and clerics demanded an ‘exemplary punishment’ for those involved in the publication. Zalmai was arrested in October 2007 as he was trying to flee the country. His publisher Mohammad Ateef Noori was detained on 18 November 2007, and Mullah Mushtaq on 10 June 2008.
Details of trial: Ahmed Ghous Zalmai was sentenced to twenty years in prison alongside Mullah Qari Mushtaq by a court in Kabul on 11September 2008 under Article 130 of the Afghan Constitution for ‘publishing the Koran in a Dari translation’. Publisher Mohammad Ateef Noori was reportedly handed down a five-year sentence. Dari is a Farsi dialect spoken in Afghanistan, and Article 130 renders Sharia law applicable to the case. It is said that the case stemmed from the failure to print the Arabic original of the Koran alongside the translation, as reportedly required by Islamic law in Afghanistan, and for alleged errors and misunderstandings in the translation. The translation in question was carried out by an Iranian living in the United States, and is publically available on the Internet: http://www.quran-farsi.net/Quran/FarsiMenu01.htm All three men are currently held at a detention centre in Kabul, and are appealing their conviction.
Professional details: Ahmed Ghous Zalmai has previously worked as TV and radio journalist, and headed the Afghanistan National Journalist Association. Mullah Qari Mushtaq is leader of Tamim-e-Ansar Mosque and said to be a well-respected religious figure.

Brief detention

*Nazari PARYANI: News editor of the daily Payman, reportedly arrested on 13 January 2009 at the newspaper headquarters in Kabul. Six other journalists were arrested with Paryani, but later released. Arrested for an allegedly ‘blasphemous’ article published on 10 January in Payman. In the next edition of the newspaper, an apology was issued and on 21 January 2009 Paryani was released provisionally, and remains under judicial surveillance.

Case closed

Dr Khalil NARMGOI: Satirist and medical doctor. Reportedly arrested on 10 June 2008 and sentenced to one year in prison for writing a letter critical of the government, published in the weekly Paiam Mojahed. Case closed for lack of further information.

BANGLADESH
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On trial, free on bail

Salah Uddin Shoaib CHOUDHURY: Editor of the tabloid weekly Blitz. Arrested on 29 November 2003 by security personnel at Zia International Airport in Dhaka. He was reportedly on his way to Israel to participate in a conference with the Hebrew Writers Association when he was arrested. Choudhury is believed to have been going to address a writers’ symposium in Tel Aviv entitled Bridges Through Culture, and was scheduled to speak about the role of the media in establishing peace. Choudhury is known for his attempts to improve relations between Muslim countries and Israel, and has written articles against anti-Israeli attitudes in Muslim countries and about the rise of al-Qaeda in Bangladesh, which had reportedly sparked debate in the Bangladeshi press and government prior to his arrest. Choudhury was accused of spying for Israel, and was repeatedly denied a bail hearing. He was released on bail on 2 May 2005 following appeals by PEN USA. His trial started on 5 April 2006, and is ongoing as of 30 June 2009. Choudhury continues as editor of Blitz and remains under pressure from the government and extremist groups for his critical writings. Most recently he was attacked in his newspaper offices on 22 February 2009.
Honorary member of: USA PEN and English PEN.
[RAN 23/04 and updates]

CAMBODIA
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Imprisoned: Main case

*HANG Chakra
Profession: Publisher and editor-in-chief of the Khmer opposition newspaper Khmer Machas Srok.
Date of arrest: 26 June 2009 Sentence: One year in prison Expires: 25 June 2010
Details of trial: Charged with ‘publishing false information’ and defamation on 12 June 2009 for a series of articles published in his newspaper in early 2009 accusing a senior government minister of corruption. He was prosecuted under Article 62 of the UNTAC criminal code rather than the more liberal 1995 Press Law. Neither he nor his lawyer were present at the trial on 26 June 2009, in which he was sentenced to one year in prison. He was arrested after the trial and is appealing the sentence.
Place of detention: Prey Sar prison, near Phnom Penh.

Case closed

Dam SITH: Editor of the opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer. Reportedly arrested in Phnom Penh on 8 June 2008, on charges of libel and false information. On 15 June 2008 Sith was released from Phnom Penh prison but charges were still pending against him. In early August 2008 Sith fled Cambodia for the United States for reasons of safety. Case closed, presumed to be no longer under threat.

CHINA
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Imprisoned: Main cases

CHEN Daojun
D.o.b.: 22 December 1968
Profession: Dissident writer and journalist.
Date of arrest: 9 May 2008
Sentence: Three-year prison sentence. Expiry: 8 May 2011.
Details of arrest: Arrested near Chengdu City, Sichuan province for suspicion of inciting subversion of State power. Among a number of people detained whilst protesting the building of a chemical plant in the town of Pengzhou, 39 km outside Chengdu. He was initially charged in 13 June 2008 with ‘inciting splittism’, apparently for an article he published following the Tibetan democracy protests in March 2008 which condemned the Chinese government’s violent crackdown on protesters that month. He has also written articles critical of the government and the politics of the Beijing Olympics.
Details of the trial: Chen was handed down a three-year imprisonment sentence and three years’ deprivation of political rights on 11 November 2008 by the Intermediate People’s Court of Chengdu. At his trial which took place on 5 November 2008 and lasted two and a half hours, no verdict was reached. However, on 11 November 2008 it was announced that he had been convicted of ‘inciting subversion’ in three of his articles published in overseas Chinese websites and a Hong Kong-based magazine.
Place of detention: Detention Centre of the Public Security Bureau of Jintang County.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN. [RAN 27/08 and updates]

CHEN Shuqing:
D.o.b.: 26 September 1964.
Profession: Dissident writer and leading member of Zhejiang Branch of the banned Chinese Democratic Party (CDP).
Date of arrest: 14 September 2006. Sentence: 4 years in prison. Expires: 13 September 2010.
Details of arrest: He went voluntarily to the Daguan Police Station, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, after being summoned the previous day. On 17 October 2006 he was formally charged with inciting subversion for his critical articles published on various overseas Chinese websites such as Boxun, Minzhu Luntan, Dajiyuan, Yi Bao, Guancha, and Xin Shiji.
Details of trial: Sentenced to four years in prison on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ on 14 August 2007 by the Intermediate People’s Court of Hangzou City. The conviction is reportedly based on sentences quoted from various articles published and posted on the banned magazine of the Chinese Democratic Party, and overseas Chinese websites including Boxun, Epoch Times, China Affairs Forum, China E Weekly and Duowei News. His appeal was rejected by the Zhejiang High People’s Court on 29 October 2007.
Place of detention: Qiaosi Prison, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Previously detained in 1999 for 4 months for setting up the banned Chinese Democratic Party. After his release, he trained to become a lawyer, but in 2005, after passing his exams, he was refused a lawyer’s licence by the Justice Bureau of Zhejiang Province, who alleged his articles published online had violated China’s Constitution. Chen challenged this ruling in court, but lost the case in both the lower and the appeal courts. He has since been subject to police harassment.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN

DU Daobin
D.o.b.: 1965 Profession: Dissident writer and member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre.
Date of arrest: 21 July 2008 Sentence: Two years and four months Expires: 20 November 2010
Details of arrest: Arrested at his workplace in Yingcheng City, Hubei Province, by National Security police who also searched Du’s home and confiscated two computers and some letters. Du Daobin was on probation for “inciting subversion of state power”, and was re-arrested for allegedly violating the terms of his probation. Police alleged that, while on probation, Du published more than a hundred essays on overseas websites, failed to report to the police regularly and did not notify the police when he travelled outside of his hometown and when he hosted guests at home. He is now required to serve the remaining two years and four months of his sentence.
Place of detention: Hanxi Prison, Wuhan City, Hubei Province
Previous political imprisonment/problems: On June 11, 2004, Du was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment commuted to four years’ probation and two years’ deprivation of political rights. He was released after serving nearly eight months in prison. According to the court verdict, between July 2002 and October 2003, Du posted twenty-six allegedly subversive and slanderous articles on internet websites such as Dajiyuan and New Century in China and abroad. He was a main case of International PEN. (RAN 37/08 – 23 July 2008)

GUO Qizhen
D.O.B: 10 May 1958. Profession: Internet writer. Date of arrest: 12 May 2006 Sentence: 4 years in prison Expires: 11 May 2010
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested at his home on 12 May 2006 and charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ on 6 June 2006. His arrest appears to be linked to his participation in a rotating hunger strike, which has been held by pro-democracy activists since 4 February 2006 to protest against human rights violations in China. The charges are based on his 34 articles attacking at the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and government that were published on overseas websites.
Details of trial: Sentenced to 4 years imprisonment, and three years’ deprivation of political rights, for ‘inciting subversion’ on 17 October 2006.
Place of detention: No.4 Prison in Shijiazhuang, the capital City of Hebei Province, Northern China.
Treatment in prison: Denied full access to family visits, and said to be ill-treated.
Health concerns: There are reports that he is in poor health and is in a fragile psychological state as a result of ill-treatment in prison. His health has reportedly deteriorated in prison due to the lack of adequate health care. In late March 2009 Guo’s wife reported that she is allowed to visit him once every two or three months, and brings him medication for a form of gangrene, as prison authorities reportedly refuse to provide it. Guo is dependant on crutches and there are fears that he could lose the use of his leg.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN

GUO Quan
D.O.B: 8 May 1968. Profession: Internet writer and activist.
Date of arrest: 13 November 2008.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested at his home in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province for ’suspicion of subversion of state power’. It is feared that he may be detained for the views expressed on his web blog, in which he allegedly called for democracy and criticized the Nanjing government for its decision to build a chemical plant in the city. Others suspect that the charges could be linked to his role in organizing a new political party, the China Xinmin Party, in December 2007. At the time of his arrest, the police confiscated Guo Quan’s articles and his computer. Guo Quan was formally charged with ‘subverting the State power’ on 19 December 2008. He is said to be held incommunicado at Nanjing City Public Security Bureau.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: In May 2008 he spent ten days in prison for ‘violating of public order’. He is an associate professor at Nanjing University, however, due to his political activities he has been banned from teaching. (RAN 63/08 – 2 December 2008).

HADA
D.O.B: 13 February 1955 Profession: Owner of the Mongolian Academic bookstore and founder and editor-in-chief of The Voice of Southern Mongolia
Date of Arrest: 10 December 1995 Sentence: 15 years in prison Expires: 9 December 2010
Details of Arrest: Arrested for founding the Southern Mongolian Democracy Alliance and publishing the underground journal, The Voice of Southern Mongolia.
Details of trial: Sentenced to 15 years in prison and 4 years deprivation of political rights on charges of “inciting separatism and espionage” on 6 December 1996.
Place of Detention: No.4 Prison, Chi Feng City, Inner Mongolia.
Treatment in Prison: Reportedly subject to ill treatment in detention.
Health Concerns: Said to be suffering from a stomach ulcer and coronary heart disease, and his health is said to have deteriorated significantly in prison.
Honorary member: PEN Canada, Independent Chinese PEN.

HU Jia
D.O.B: 25 July 1973. Profession: Leading activist and dissident writer
Date of arrest: 27 December 2007. Sentence: Three and a half years in prison. Expires: 26 June 2011
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested from his home by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau on 27 December 2007 on “suspicion of incitement to subvert state power” for his critical writings and activism.
Place of detention: Beijing Prison, Huangcun Town, Daxing District, Beijing, P.R China.
Details of trial: On 3 April 2008, Hu Jia was convicted of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ for his critical online writings and dissident activities, after being tried on 18 March 2008 at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court. According to his lawyer, evidence presented against him in court included five articles published on banned overseas Chinese websites and two interviews given to the foreign media. He is also believed to be targeted for an open letter he signed, “The Real China Before the Olympics,” which demanded an end to human rights abuses in the run-up to the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in August 2008.
Health concerns: Hu Jia suffers from long-term health problems including cirrhosis of the liver, and there are serious concerns that hishealth is deteriorating in prison. On 28 December 2008 it was reported that he continued to be denied access to specialist medical care.
Treatment in prison: Denied access to family visits.
Other information: Hu Jia’s family have also been subjected to harassment and severe restrictions of movement since his arrest, and there are serious concerns for his wife Zeng Jingyan, who had a one-month-old baby at the time of Hu’s arrest and is herself under effective house arrest. Hu’s arrest appears to have been part of a crackdown on dissidents in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. On 10 October 2008 it was announced that Hu Jia had won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought awarded by the European Parliament.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Hu and his wife Zeng Jinyan were placed under residential surveillance on 18 May 2007, as they were about to set off on a tour of Europe to promote their documentary film “Prisoners of Freedom City”. Hu is known for his activities on environmental and AIDS issues, and had been briefly detained in February 2006.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN.
[RAN 1/08 and updates]

HE Depu
D.o.b: 28 October 1956 Profession: Dissident activist/writer.
Date of arrest: 4 November 2002 Sentence: Eight years in prison. Expires: 24 January 2011
Details of arrest: Taken from his home by the police for questioning and held incommunicado in a form of ‘residence under surveillance’ until formally detained on 27 January 2003. He was a signatory of an open letter of 20 November 2002 calling for political reform.
Details of trial: Tried on 14 October 2003 in a two-hour trial on charges of “inciting subversion” for collaborating with the banned Chinese Democratic Party (CDP) and publishing essays on the Internet. Sentenced on 6 November 2003 to eight years in prison and two-year deprivation of political rights. On 20 December 2003 Beijing’s Court No.1 dismissed He Depu’s application for an appeal.
Health concerns: Said to be in very poor health, to have lost a great deal of weight, a number of teeth, and to be suffering from a liver complaint. In need of vitamins and medication.
Treatment in prison: Ill-treated in prison and denied access to family visits. In a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dated 26 April 2008 and smuggled out of prison, he reports that prison conditions were worsening, particularly for political prisoners.
Professional details: Took part in the Democracy Wall Movement in 1979 and founded the magazine Beijing Youth which was subsequently banned. Helped launch the now-banned China Democracy Party (CDP).
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Lost his job with the Social Sciences Academy after standing as a candidate in the local election in 1990. Briefly detained several times for his political activities.
Honorary member of: Suisse Romande, Independent Chinese PEN.

HUANG Jinqiu (aka Qingshui Jun)
D.o.b.: 3 September 1974 Profession: Internet essayist, writer and journalist.
Date of arrest: 13 September 2003 Sentence: 12 years in prison, reduced by one year and ten months in November 2007. Expires: 12 November 2013
Details of arrest: Arrested on 13 September 2003 after returning to China in August 2003 following three years overseas on a scholarship studying journalism at the Central Academy of Art in Malaysia. Well known in the overseas Chinese internet community for his essays published on the Chinese-language news website ‘Boxun.com’ under the pen-name Qing Shuijun (Mr Clear Water). In early September 2003, Huang Jinqiu visited his parents in Shandong Province; his last article was published on 10 September 2003, entitled ‘Me and My Public Security Friends’.
Details of trial: Huang’s trial began on 22 June 2004 at the Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court. It is reported that the court was unable to reach a verdict initially because of lack of evidence, but after the case was referred back to the prosecution further evidence was submitted and he was convicted on 27 September 2004 of ‘organising, planning and performing subversion of state power by publishing a large number of reactionary articles on the Internet in his capacity as member of the preparatory committee of the China Patriotic Democratic Party’. He was sentenced to a twelve-year in prison and fouryear deprivation of political rights. His sentence was upheld on appeal on 9 December 2004. Professional details: Huang Jinqiu trained at the Lu Xun Literature Institute, a leading writing school. His writings have been well-recognised from an early age, and at the age of twenty he published his first book. He has worked as a journalist and editor of several newspapers and magazines since the age of eighteen, including the Guanzhou daily Yangcheng Wanbao. His essays have been collected into two publications, one that is non-political and published under his real name, and one collection of political commentaries published for security reasons under his pen-name Qing Shuijun. According to his articles, which he continued to post on Boxun.com throughout his journey across China, he began to be followed by the secret police on 15 August 2003, first in Yunan Province, then in Sichuan and through to Shanghai.
Place of detention: Pukou Prison, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province.
Treatment in prison: In late June 2007 it was reported that Huang has not been required to carry out hard labour by the prison administration, and that his health is good.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: In early 2001, whilst he was overseas, his articles began to attract the attention of the Chinese authorities, which reportedly visited his parents and warned them of their concerns about him. He attracted further attention in January 2003 by announcing on Boxun.com his intention to found a political party, the China Patriot Democracy Party (CPDP). Although his announcement is said to have attracted a lot of interest, it is not thought that the CPDP was ever organised in practice.
Honorary member: German, American, English and Independent Chinese PEN. [RAN 46/04, 6 October 2004]

HUANG Qi
D.o.b.: 7 April 1963 Profession: Internet writer, and director and cofounder of the Tianwang Human Rights Centre in Chengdu.
Date of arrest: 10 June 2008.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested after criticizing the Chinese government’s handling of the 12 May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. There were reports that he was last seen being forced into a car by alleged plainclothes police and was held incommunicado for a few months. On 18 July 2008, he was formally charged for illegally holding state secrets. His case has twice been handed back to the police by the prosecution for further investigation, and was re-submitted to the prosecution for the third time in mid- December 2008.
Details of trial: The trial was scheduled to start on 2 February 2009, but the hearing was postponed indefinitely for undisclosed reasons.
Place of detention: Detention Centre of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province.
Health concerns: On 26 May 2009 Huang QI’s lawyer visited him in prison and reported he is in poor health.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Previously imprisoned on subversion charges from 2003 to 2005 for setting up a web site that investigated corruption, advocated democracy, and called for the release of those imprisoned in the wake of the Tiananmen protests.(RAN 32/08 – 16 June 2008).

KONG Youping and Ning Xianhua
D.o.b.: 1952 (Kong Youping) Profession: Internet writers and factory workers.
Date of arrest: 13 December 2003 Sentence: 10 and 8 years in prison respectively. Expires: 12 December 2013 and 13 December 2011 respectively.
Details of arrest: Kong Youping was reportedly arrested after posting five articles and seven poems on an overseas website challenging the official version of the “Beijing Spring” and alleging official corruption. The pair was also accused of posting online essays supporting the establishment of trade unions and the China Democratic Party (CDP). It is thought that the heavy sentences against the pair are related to growing workers’ unrest in Northeast China where many factory workers for failing state enterprises are being laid off and an organised labour movement is struggling to emerge.
Details of trial: On 16 September 2004 the Shenyang Intermediate People’s Court, Liaoning province, northeastern China, sentenced both on charges of ‘subverting state power’ to 15 and 12 years in prison respectively. On appeal, their sentences are reduced to 10 and 8 years, respectively
Place of detention: Kong Youping is held at Lingyuan City prison, west Liaoning Province. Ning Xianhua is held at Shenyang prison, the capital city of Liaoning Province.
Health concerns: Kong Youping is said to be suffering from high blood pressure and deteriorating eyesight.
Other information: Kong Youping is said to be detained far from his home, and his wife in unable to afford to visit him.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN

LI Zhi
D.o.b.: 14 November 1970. Profession: Internet writer and financial official in the Dazhou municipal government, Sichuan Province.
Date of arrest: 11 August 2003 Sentence: 8 years in prison, reportedly reduced by one year in November 2008. Expires: 10 August 2010
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested by Sichuan Province State Security Police for posting essays on an overseas website accusing Sichuan officials of corruption and joining the Chinese Democracy Party (CDP) through the Internet. Officially charged with ‘subverting state power’ on 3 September 2003.
Details of trial: Sentenced to eight years in prison and four-year deprivation of political rights on 10 December 2003 by the Dazhou Intermediate People’s Court. The court verdict confirms that both Yahoo! Hong Kong Ltd and Sina Beijing supplied evidence to the prosecution. His sentence was upheld on appeal on 26 February 2004. In November 2008 it was reported that his sentence had been reduced by one year, and that a further reduction was expected next year.
Place of detention: Sichuan No.3 Prison, Postbox 101, Dazhu County, Sichuan Province
Honorary Member: Canadian and Independent Chinese PEN Centre.

LU Gengsong
D.o.b: 7 January 1956. Profession: Writer and human rights activist.
Date of arrest: 24 August 2007 Sentence: 4 years in prison Expires: 23 August 2011
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, on 24 August 2007, following the on-line publication of articles critical of the authorities. His home was searched and his computer and personal files were reportedly confiscated. Lu Gengsong was formally charged on 29 September 2007 with ‘inciting subversion of state power’, a charge which is often used to silence dissidents. The initial charge of ‘illegal possession of state secrets’ has been dropped.
Details of trial: On 5 February 2008 Lu Gensong was sentenced to four years in prison for ‘inciting subversion of state power’. The appeal presented by Lu’s defence was rejected on 7 April 2008.
Place of detention: Xijiao Prison, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, P.R China.
Treatment in prison: Reportedly held incommunicado, although his wife has been permitted to visit him.
Professional details: Lu Gengsong, a history graduate from Zhejiang University, taught at the Zhejiang Higher Professional School of Public Security before being expelled in 1993 because of his pro-democracy activities. He went on to become a freelance writer, and has published several books on political reform, including A History of Chinese Community Party Corrupt Officials in 2000. Lu is known for his reporting on human rights violations and his political commentaries published on the Internet. He is also an active member of the banned China Democracy Party (CDP).
Honorary Member: Independent Chinese PEN Centre.
[RAN 37/07 and updates].

LU Jianhua
D.o.b: 03/07/1960. Profession: Research Professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Deputy Director of Public Policy Research and Executive Director of the China Development Strategy.
Date of arrest: April 2005. Sentence: 20 years in prison. Expires: April 2025.
Details of trial: First arrested in April 2005 on charges of ‘leaking state secrets’. Convicted on 18 December 2006 to 20 years in prison for leaking state secrets to a Hong Kong reporter (Ching Cheong, see above) who was sentenced to five years for spying. Human rights groups have questioned the evidence in the reporter’s case, but Lu’s trial was held in secret and reportedly only lasted for 90 minutes.
Place of detention: Beijing City jail.
Treatment in prison: Reportedly held incommunicado. His wife is not allowed access to him.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).

LIU Xiaobo
D.o.b: 28 December 1955. Profession: Prominent dissident writer, former President and current Board member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre.
Date of arrest: 8 December 2008
Details of arrest: Arrested for signing Charter 08, a declaration calling for political reforms and human rights. Held under Residential Surveillance, a form of pre-trial detention, at an undisclosed location in Beijing, until he was formally charged with ‘spreading rumours and defaming the government, aimed at subversion of the state and overthrowing the socialism system in recent years’ on 23 June 2009. The charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, and is said to be based on his endorsement of Charter 08 and over twenty articles published between 2001-2008. He is said to have confessed to the charges against him.
Place of detention: Reportedly transferred to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre in Douge Zhuang, Beijing, on 23 June 2009,
Treatment in prison: Since being transferred to a detention centre he reports “an improvement” in his conditions, as he now has regular outdoor time and five detainees in his cell with whom he can talk. During his six-month pre-trial detention he was held incommunicado in a windowless room without any outdoor time and with only two family visits. He was allowed to meet with his lawyers on 26 June 2009.
Other information: Liu Xiaobo is among a large number of dissidents to have been detained or harassed after issuing an open letter calling on the National People’s Congress Standing Committee to ratify the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and launching Charter 08, a declaration calling for political reforms and human rights. These activities formed part of campaigns across China to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December), and the Charter has now been signed by more than 8000 scholars, journalists, freelance writers and activists. Recipient of American PEN 2009 Freedom to Write award.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Liu Xiaobo first received support from PEN in 1989, when he was one of a group of writers and intellectuals given the label the “Black Hands of Beijing” by the government, and arrested for their part in the Tiananmen Square protests. Liu has since spent a total of five years in prison, including a three year sentence passed in 1996, and has suffered frequent short arrests, harassment and censorship.

LU Zengqi and YAN Qiuyan
Profession: Falun Gong members and Internet writers/publishers.
Date of arrest: Not known. Sentence: 10 years in prison respectively. Expires: 2014
Details of trial: Sentenced by Court No.1 in Chongqing, western China, on 19 February 2004 to ten years in prison each for writing and publishing respectively an online publication which according to the court verdict “tarnished the image of the government by broadcasting fabricated stories of persecution suffered by cult members”. The newsletter alleged the ill treatment in prison of a fellow Falun Gong member.

Abdulghani MEMETEMIN
D.o.b.: 1964 Profession: Writer, teacher and translator from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
Date of arrest: 26 July 2002 Sentence: 9 years’ imprisonment. Expires: 25 July 2011
Details of arrest: Reported in August 2004 to have been detained since July 2002 on charges of “sending secret state information out of the country”. Reportedly arrested in Kashgar on 26 July 2002. Since 1999 Memetemin had provided information on a voluntary basis to the East Turkistan Information Centre (ETIC), a Uighur rights and pro-independence group run by exiled Uighurs in Germany and described by China as a terrorist group although the group is not known to have advocated violence.
Details of trial: Convicted in June 2003 by the Kashgar Intermediate People’s Court of “violating state secrets and sending them outside the country”. Sentenced to nine years in prison. Charges against him are believed to have included translating state news articles into Chinese from Uighur, forwarding official speeches to the ETIC, which is banned in China, and conducting reporting for the ETIC. Also accused of recruiting other reporters for the ETIC. Said to have been denied legal representation at his trial and to have been denied access to his wife and children since his arrest. Reportedly tortured in detention.
Honorary member of: German and Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).

QI Chonghuai
D.o.b.: 7 February 1965. Profession: Journalist.
Date of arrest: 25 June 2007 Sentence: Four years in prison. Expires: 24 June 2011.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested from his home in Jinan, the capital province of Shandong, eastern China, on 25 June 2007 following the publication of an article alleging corruption in the Tengzhou Communist Party, which was published in June 2007 on the Xinhuanet website. He was arrested and tried with freelance reporter He Yanjie, see ‘released’ below. A photographer, Ma Shiping, was also detained for publishing photos in the article. Qi was charged with blackmail and extortion on 2 August 2007 for allegedly accepting bribes from local officials whilst researching the article. Qi was held incommunicado for the first two months of his detention, and claims to have been repeatedly assaulted and threatened by security guards throughout his eleven-month pre-trial detention. The case was turned back to the police in mid-February 2008 for lack of evidence.
Details of trial: The trial on 13 May 2008 at the People’s Court of Tengzhou City, Shandong Province, reportedly did not comply with international standards of fairness. The appeal was rejected without any hearing by the Intermediate People’s Court of Zaozhuang City on 24 July 2008.
Place of detention: Tengzhou Prison, Tenzhou City, Shandong Province.
Professional details: Qi Chonghuai has been a journalist for 13 years before his arrest. From 2004-6, he worked for various publications, including the Shangdong Zhoukan (Shandon Weekly), the Renmin Gong’an Bao (People’s Public Security News), and the Zhongguo Anquan Shengchan Bao. In June 2006, he started work as director of the newspaper Fazhi Zaobao (Legal System Morning News), which ceased publishing in December 2006 and was reformed with its existing staff as the Fazhi Ribao (Weekend edition of the Legal System Daily). He has also worked as special correspondent with the Fazhi Zhoubao (Legality Weekly) and the Jizhe Guancha (Journalist Observer), and is known for his reporting on corruption and social injustice in Shangdong province. He is said to have been repeatedly warned by the authorities to cease such reporting prior to his arrest.
Honorary member of: Independent Chinese PEN Centre

SHI Tao
D.o.b: 25 July 1968 Profession: Journalist and poet. Member of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).
Date of Arrest: 24 November 2004. Sentence: 10 years’ imprisonment. Expires: 25 November 2014
Details of Arrest: Arrested at his home in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, northwest China, by police from Changsha National Security Bureau, southern China. They also confiscated his writings, computer and other personal belongings. According to Xinhua, the government run news agency, he had been found guilty of posting online his notes based on a government document that was read out at an editorial meeting of Dangdai Shang Bao (Contemporary Trade News) in April 2004.
Details of Trial: Shi Tao was sentenced on 30 April 2005 to ten years’ imprisonment and two-year deprivation of political rights for “revealing state secrets”. Information supplied by the Internet Service Provider Yahoo! Inc. was used to convict him. The sentence was upheld on appeal on 2 June 2005. He was not allowed to attend the appeal hearing, and his mother has applied for a review of the appeal on procedural grounds.
Professional Details: Shi Tao has worked as a freelance journalist for several newspapers including the Changsha-based daily Dangdai Shang Bao (Contemporary Trade News), which he left in May 2004 in order to return to his home city of Taiyuan. He has also written a number of articles, including political commentaries, for online forums, in particular the overseas Chinese web site Min Zhu Lun Tan (Democracy Forum). He has published several books of poetry. Recipient of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) International Press Freedom Award 2005.
Place of Detention: Deshan Prison, Postbox: 56-4, 415001 Changde City, Hunan Province.
Health concerns: Since his transfer to Deshan Prison in June 2007, his living conditions and health have reportedly improved, and he is no longer required to do hard physical labour.
Other information: Recipient of CPJ’s 2005 International Press Freedom Award, PEN America’s 2006 Freedom to Write Award, WAN’s 2007 Golden Pen of Freedom.
Honorary member of: Sydney, German, Canada, New Zealand, Swiss Italian, Swiss German, American, English, San Miguel, Independent Chinese PEN Centre, Scottish and USA PEN.

TAO Haidong
D.o.b: 2 May 1957 Profession: Internet writer and editor.
Date of arrest: 9 July 2002. Sentence: Seven years’ imprisonment. Expires: 8 July 2009.
Details of arrest: Arrested from his home in Urumqi, Xinjiang while in the process of posting articles on the Internet.
Details of trial: His trial began on 8 January 2003, and was conducted in secret at the Urumqi People’s Court. He was found guilty of having posted material on the Internet allegedly on a charge of “inciting subversion of state power”, and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and threeyear deprivation of political rights. The Official People’s Court Daily disclosed his sentencing on 16 February 2003, but the date of the court’s decision is unknown. According to articles in the Urumqi local press Tao Haidong was arrested on suspicion of espionage after having posted articles on both Chinese and overseas websites predicting the collapse of China’s economy and criticising China’s leaders.
Place of detention: Changji Prison, Changji City, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Tao Haidong previously completed three years of ‘Reform through Labour’ for editing a book entitled ‘Imaginings of a New Human Race.’ He was released in January 2001 and subsequently became active on the Internet, often without using a pseudonym.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).

WANG Rongqing:
D.o.b.: 9 December 1943 Profession: Magazine editor and dissident.
Date of arrest: 25 June 2008 Sentence: Six years in prison. Expires: 9 May 2014
Details of arrest: Reportedly taken from home in June 2008, but not formally charged until 31 July 2008. Thought to be charged for his membership of the banned China Democracy Party (CDP), for editing a publication called Opposition Party and posting articles on the Internet.
Details of trial: Wang was sentenced to six years in prison on 8 January 2009 by the Hangzhou city Intermediate People’s Court in the eastern province of Zhejiang, for ‘subversion of state power’.
Place of detention: Held at Jianggan District Detention Centre in Hangzhou city.
Treatment in prison: Said to have been denied family visits since his arrest.
Health concerns: In early January 2009 Wang’s family reported that he was in poor health, and only able to walk with the use of crutches. On 10 February 2009 it was reported that he had been transferred to hospital.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: A veteran prodemocracy activist, Wang has suffered harassment and brief detentions by the authorities since the late 1970’s when he joined the Democracy Wall movement. He later became a leader member of the banned CDP, and in 2005 he was detained for six months for organising the CDP in Zhejiang. In 2006 he was arrested for one month for his writings calling for religious freedom.

WANG Xiaoning
D.o.b.: 7 January 1950 Profession: Internet writer and dissident.
Date of arrest: 1 September 2002 Sentence: 10 years in prison. Expires: 31 August 2012
Details of arrest: Arrested on 1 September 2002 and charged on 30 September 2002 with subversion for articles published online between 2000 and 2002.
Details of trial: Sentenced to ten years in prison and two-year deprivation of political rights on 25 July 2003 by the Beijing Municipal First Intermediary People’s Court. Thought to be specifically charged for articles published in the on-line journals Democratic Reform Free Forum and Current Political Commentary between 2000 and 2002. The journals reportedly included articles written by Wang under his real name and pen name advocating democratic reform and criticising the authorities. The journals were reportedly distributed by email through Yahoo! groups that Wang established anonymously in mainland China and Hong Kong. Wang published his articles on a number of web sites in China and overseas. Wang was also accused of advocating the establishment of the ‘China Third Road Party’ and communicating by email with the leader of the China Social Democratic Party, which is banned in China.
Place of detention: Beijing No 2 Prison, Chaoyang District, Beijing City
Treatment in prison: Reportedly tortured.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN Centres.

WEI Zhenling
D.o.b.: 31 October 1968 Profession: Freelance reporter for the Zhejiang Qingnian Bao (Zhejiang Youth Newspaper) and activist from Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
Date of arrest: 25 July 2008 Sentence: 1 year and 9 months of ‘Re-Education Through Labour’ (RTL). Expires: 24 March 2010.
Details of arrest: Reportedly detained on 25 July 2008 on suspicion of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ for his online critical reports and activism.
Details of trial: Administratively sentenced in late August 2008 for allegedly ‘gambling and requenting prostitutes’ several years ago. It is believed that he is detained for his dissident activities and writings, but that there was insufficient evidence to support the subversion charge on which he was first arrested.
Previous political imprisonment/ problems: Has reportedly been summoned and warned by police for his online reports and activities several times before.

WU Yilong
D.o.b.: 1 May 1964 Profession: Internet writer and China Democratic Party (CDP) activist.
Date of arrest: June 1999 Sentence: 11 years’ imprisonment. Expires: 14 September 2010
Details of arrest: Arrested for circulating pro-democracy articles on the Internet and for his work with the magazine Zai Yedang (Opposition Party). The CDP, founded in 1998, is an underground opposition party.
Details of trial: Sentenced by the Hangzhou Intermediate Court in Zhejiang Province, eastern China, on charges of subversion on 9 November 1999. His sentence was upheld on appeal on 13 December 2006.
Place of detention: Zhejiang No. 1 Prison and No. 4 Prison, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, respectively.
Honorary member: Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).

XU Wei and JIN Haike:
Profession: Reporter for Xiaofei Ribao (Consumer Daily), and geologist and writer respectively.
Date of arrest: 13 March 2001 Sentence: Ten years in prison. Expires: 12 March 2011.
Details of arrest: Arrested on 13 March 2001 and charged with ‘subversion’ for their participation in the ‘Xin Qingnian Xuehui’ (New Youth Study Group), an informal gathering of individuals concerned with political and economic inequalities who used the internet to circulate relevant articles.
Details of trial: On 28 September 2001, the Beijing Intermediate Court initiated legal proceedings against Xu Wei, Jin Haike, Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai (see ‘released’ below), focusing on two essays circulated on the internet entitled ‘Be a new citizen, reform China’ and ‘What’s to be done’, which allegedly demonstrated the groups’ intention to “overthrow the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership and the socialist system and subvert the regime of the people’s democratic dictatorship”. No verdict was announced at the time, and proceedings against the four writers recommenced on 21 April 2003. Lawyers for the four men argue that the failure to issue a verdict in the case violates China’s Criminal Procedure Law, which stipulates that a court must pronounce judgement within six weeks of accepting a case. On 28 May 2003 Xu Wei and Jin Haike were sentenced to ten years in prison, and Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai to eight years. Their appeal was reportedly heard on 3 November 2003, and apparently turned down.
Health concerns: It was reported in February 2008 that both men were suffering from acute medical problems, some of which do not appear to have been properly diagnosed, and for which they are not receiving appropriate medical attention. Jin Haike, who received abdominal surgery in November 2007, is reportedly in acute pain. Xu Wei was reportedly subjected to ill-treatment in prison. In March 2009 Xu Wei was reported to have been transferred to a penitentiary in Yanqing, northwest of Beijing, after developing a mental illness whilst imprisoned.
Other information: Xu Wei was awarded the 2003 Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) International Press Freedom Award.
Place of detention: Jin Haike remains held in Beijing Prison No. 2.
Honorary member of: Ghanaian and Independent Chinese PEN.
[RAN 29/03 – and updates]

XU Zerong
D.o.b.: 14 January 1954 Profession: Research professor at Zhongshan University, Guangzhou.
Date of arrest: 24 June 2000 Sentence: 13 years’ imprisonment, reduced twice by 19 months in total in 2006 and 2008. Expires: 23 November 2011
Details of arrest: Arrested in the city of Guangzhou, south China, and formally charged on 29 July 2000 in connection with “the illegal publication of books and periodicals...since 1993”. According to official sources, Xu had confessed to his crimes.
Details of trial: Sentenced on 20 December 2001 by Shenzhen Intermediate Court to ten years’ imprisonment for leaking state secrets and five years’ imprisonment for illegal business activities, combined as 13 years in prison. It appears that the first set of charges relate to his use of documents concerning Chinese military operations in the Korean War (1950-53), gathered in the course of his research; the second set of charges are thought to relate to the allegedly illegal publication of books and periodicals and the sale of book authorisation numbers since 1993. The Guangdong Province Higher People’s Court upheld Xu’s conviction on appeal in late December 2002. His sentence has been reduced twice in 2006 and 2008 by a total of 18 months.
Place of detention: Moved to Rican Prison, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. Said to be held in the section of the prison reserved for elderly and sick prisoners.
Treatment in prison: International attention is said to have resulted in better treatment by prison authorities, including the transfer to a prison with more modern facilities. In October 2008 his daughter expressed thanks to International PEN on behalf of Xu and his family for support to Xu in prison.
Health concerns: Believed to suffer from high blood pressure and other serious health conditions although no further details have been disclosed. His family is applying for medical parole.
Professional details: Xu’s research specialised in Chinese Communist Party history, military history and China’s relations with Southeast Asia. He received his doctorate from St. Anthony’s College, Oxford University, in 1999. His doctoral thesis covered Chinese military intervention into the Korean War. In the 1980’s, Xu moved to Hong Kong where he gained permanent residency. Whilst there he reportedly set up a publishing house and was active in publishing the journal Chinese Social Sciences Quarterly. He was also reportedly an assistant researcher for the official Xinhua News Agency. At the time of his arrest, Xu held the positions of Associate Research Professor at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Zhongshan University, Guangzhou) and Affiliated Professor of the Provincial Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.
Honorary member of: Ghanaian and Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).

YAN Zhengxue
D.o.b.: 11 January 1944 Profession: Dissident writer and painter and member of Independent Chinese PEN.
Date of arrest: 18 October 2006 Sentence: 3 years in prison Expires: 17 October 2009
Details of arrest: According to PEN’s information, writer and painter Yan Zhengxue was arrested on 18 October 2006 after police raided his home in Jiaojiang, Zhejiang Province. They also reportedly raided his wife’s home in Beijing, and took away computer equipment from both residences. Officially charged on 15 November 2006 with subversion in connection with his writings and dissident activities.
Details of trial: Convicted of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ on 13 April 2007 for his critical writings published on-line on overseas websites.
Place of detention: Shiliping Prison, Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
Treatment in detention: Reportedly held incommunicado without family visits.
Professional details: Yan Zhengxue is a well known artist and author of several books. His paintings have been exhibited both in China and abroad.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: He has been briefly detained on numerous occasions for his dissident activities, and was administratively sentenced to two years ‘re-education through labour’ in April 1994. He is also known for bringing a lawsuit against the authorities after claiming torture in custody on 2 July 1993 by three policemen at the Haidian district police station in Beijing.

YANG Maodong (aka Guo Feixiong)
D.o.b.: 2 August 1966. Profession: Dissident writer, independent publisher and civil rights activist.
Date of arrest: 14 September 2006. Sentence: 5 years in prison. Expires: 13 September 2011
Details of arrest: Reportedly detained on 14 September 2006 when according to his wife, police officers searched their home in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, Southern China, and took away Yang’s computers, cell phone, books, manuscripts and other documents. The following day Yang was reportedly charged with illegal business practices for allegedly publishing and selling 20,000 books using false ISBNs (international standard book number).
Details of trial: Convicted of ‘illegal business activity’ and sentenced to five years in prison by the Tianhe District Court in the southern city of Guangzhou on 14 November 2007. He has decided not to appeal his sentence.
Place of detention: Meizhou Prison, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, southern China.
Treatment in detention: There are reports that he is being ill treated in detention.
Health concerns: Said to be in poor health as a result of ill-treatment in prison.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Yang Maodong is known for his critical writings and civil rights activism. He was previously detained on 12 September 2005 and held without charge until December 2005 for his involvement in and reporting of an anti-corruption campaign by villagers in Taishi Village, Guangdong Province. Yang has since been subject to repeated harassment by the authorities.
Professional details: Yang Maodong is a writer and independent publisher, and his writings include two novels and one collection of short stories. He has also published many essays, poems and articles.
Honorary member of: Independent Chinese PEN Centre

YANG Tongyan (aka Yang Tianshui)
D.o.b.: 12 April 1961 Profession: Dissident writer and member of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).
Date of arrest: 23 December 2005 Sentence: 12 years in prison Expires: 22 December 2017
Details of arrest: Reportedly detained without a warrant on 23 December 2005 in Nanjing. Yang was held incommunicado at Dantu Detention Centre in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, without access to his family until his trial.
Details of trial: Convicted of subversion for posting anti-government articles on the Internet, organizing branches of the (outlawed) China Democracy Party and accepting illegal funds from overseas. Sentenced by the Zhenjiang intermediate court in eastern China’s Jiangsu province at a three-hour trial on 16 May 2006. Yang Tongyan is known for his critical writings published on dissident news websites such as Boxun.com and Epoch Times.
Health concerns: Diabetes, reportedly worsening in prison.
Place of detention: Nanjing Prison, Ningshuang Road 9, Box 1215-12, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: He spent a decade in prison from 1990 to 2000 on “counter-revolution” charges for his involvement in the 1989 pro-democracy protests. He was also previously held incommunicado from 24 December 2004 - 25 January 2005.
Other information: Recipient of Independent Chinese PEN Centre’s 2006 Writer in Prison Award, and the 2008 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award.
Honorary Member of: PEN Canada, Italian PEN.

Nurehamet YASIN
D.o.b.: 6 March 1974. Profession: Freelance Uighur writer.
Date of arrest: 29 November 2004. Sentence: 10 years in prison. Expires: 30 November 2014.
Details of arrest: Nurmehamet Yasin was arrested in Kashgar on 29 November 2004 for the publication of his short story Wild Pigeon (Yawa Kepter), which was first published in the bi-monthly Uighur-language Kashgar Literature Journal, issue No. 5, November 2004. Authorities also confiscated Yasin’s personal computer containing an estimated 1,600 poems, commentaries, stories, and one unfinished novel. Yasin’s story was widely circulated and recommended for one of the biggest Uighur literary websites in the Uighur Autonomous Region for outstanding literary award. It also attracted the attention of the Chinese authorities, who apparently consider the fable to be a tacit criticism of their government in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
Details of trial: After a closed trial in February 2005 at which he was not permitted a lawyer, Yasin was sentenced by the Maralbesh Country court to 10 years in prison for “inciting Uighur separatism” in his book Wild Pigeon (Yawa Kepter). The Kashgar Intermediate Court upheld his sentence on appeal, and Yasin was transferred on 19 May 2005 to Urumchi No. 1 Jail, where he remains detained.
Place of detention: Urumchi No.1 Jail.
Treatment in prison: Yasin has been permitted no visitors since his arrest and there are serious concerns for his well-being.
Professional details: Nurmuhemmet Yasin is an award-winning and prolific freelance Uighur writer. He has published many highly acclaimed literary works and prose poems in recent years, including the poetry collections First Love, Crying from the Heart, and Come on Children. He is said to be a mature writer with an established literary credential among Uighur readers. He is married with two young sons.
Honorary member of: American, English and Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).
Other information: Yasin was sentenced together with Korash HUSEYIN, editor of the Uighur-language Kashgar Literary Journal, who was released February 2008 (See ‘Released’ below).

ZENG Hongling(f) (pen name: Shanshan)
D.o.b.: 1956 Profession: Retired worker at the Southwest China University of Science and Technology in Mianyang, Sichuan province, and internet writer.
Date of arrest: 9 June 2008.
Details of arrest: Plainclothes police visited the apartment of her adoptive father where she was temporarily staying in Chengdu, the capital City of Sichuan after the earthquake, but did not find her. Later that day Zeng Hongling and went to the police station, where she was arrested by officers from the Public Security Bureau of Mianyang under suspicion of ‘illegally providing information overseas’. Charges are believed to relate to a series of online articles about her personal experience of the 12 May earthquake, entitled “The Accounts of My Personal Experiences of the Earthquake”. Her reports were published at the US-based Chinese website observechina.com on 23, 25, and 28 May 2008. It is believed that the articles were critical of the local authorities and poor construction of the schools that collapsed during the earthquake. The pieces were published together with her pictures of the earthquake in Mianyang City. The police later searched her adoptive father’s apartment and seized a computer and her belongings. She was initially held at the Detention Center of the Mianyang Public Security Bureau, although her current whereabouts are unknown. An unconfirmed report suggested that she may have been administratively sentenced to one and a half years’ Re-education Through Labour shortly after her arrest. WiPC seeking confirmation.
Honorary member of: Independent Chinese PEN.

ZHANG Jianhong (aka Li Hong)
D.o.b.: 2 June 1958. Profession: Prominent writer and member of Independent Chinese PEN.
Date of arrest: 6 September 2006. Sentence: 6 years in prison. Expires: 5 September 2012
Details of arrest: According to his wife, more than 20 police officers raided his home in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. His computers were seized and his wife interrogated. On 12 October 2006 Zhang was formally charged with ‘incitement to subversion of state power’ for his critical articles published online on overseas websites.
Details of trial: Sentenced on 19 March 2007 to six years in prison for writing articles criticising the government. The High People’s Court of Zhejiang Province upheld the sentence on 21 May 2007.
Place of detention: Transferred on 20 September 2007 to Qiaosi prison, in the eastern province of Zhejiang.
Health concerns: Zhang was diagnosed in May 2007 with a form of muscular dystrophy, but did not receive any treatment until October 2007, when he was transferred from Qiaosi Prison to the Zhejiang Prison General Hospital. His condition is said to have worsened considerably as a result of prolonged lack of medical care. In mid-March 2009 it was reported that his illness is such that he can no longer write, however, prison authorities have repeatedly denied his requests for medical parole.
Previous political imprisonment/ problems: He was imprisoned from 1989-1991 for his pro-democracy activities. In August 2005 he founded the literary website Aiqinhai.org (http://www.aiqinhai.org/), of which he was editor-in-chief, which was banned by the authorities in March 2006.
Professional details: Zhang Jianhong is a leading writer in the region and is known for his dissident activities and prolific writings. He is also a regular contributor to the overseas Chinese sites Boxun (http://www.boxun.com) and The Epoch Times (http://www.dajiyuan.com).
Honorary member of: Melbourne PEN.

ZHANG Lin
D.o.b.: 2 June 1963. Profession: Dissident writer, pro-democracy advocate and member of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC).
Date of arrest: 27 January 2005 Sentence: 5 years in prison Expires: 12 February 2010
Details of arrest: Arrested on 27 January 2005 at Bangbu City railway station in Anhui Province. Subsequently charged with “suspicion of endangering national security”. According to the official indictment issued by the Bengbu authorities on 23 May 2005, Zhang Lin was arrested because of a number of ‘subversive’ articles he had written and subsequently posted on the Internet between August 2003 and January 2005. The lyrics of a punk rock song by the popular Chinese group Pangu, which he quoted in an essay entitled ‘Pangu – The Hysterical Ravings of the Chinese People’, are said to form part of the evidence against him. The stanzas, which he reportedly quoted, are translated as follows: ‘The Yellow River Should run dry, this society should collapse, this system should be destroyed, this race should become extinct, this country should perish’.
Details of trial: Zhang Lin was convicted of ‘incitement to subversion’ by the Anhui Intermediate People’s Court on 28 July 2005 and sentenced to five years in prison and four-year deprivation of political rights. The verdict was not formally announced, even to his lawyer, until 2 August 2005, significantly reducing Zhang Lin’s opportunity to appeal his conviction. His appeal was rejected on 13 September 2005 without a hearing.
Place of detention: Nanjiao Prison, Hefei City, Anhui Province.
Treatment in detention: Since his imprisonment Zhang Lin has reportedly suffered harsh treatment, including long hours of forced labour, restricted access to correspondence with his wife, and denial of access to news and writing materials.
Health concerns: Said to be very weak. Reported in May 2006 to require urgent hospital treatment for a slipped cervical disc that affected his central nervous system. Prison medical facilities are said to be inadequate to treat his condition.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Previously detained from 1989-91, when he was sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in the prodemocracy protests, and again from 1994-97 when he received a three year sentence for campaigning for workers’ rights. After his release in 1997 he settled in the U.S. but was re-arrested in 1998 when he reentered China illegally, and was sentenced to three years’ RTL. Since his release in 2001 he has been subject to constant surveillance and harassment, and has reportedly had to rely on publishing articles overseas to support himself and his family.

*ZHANG QI
D.o.b.: 30/03/1983 Profession: Internet writer and activist.
Date of arrest: 26 June 2008 Sentence: Not yet sentenced [Sentenced to 4 years in prison on 8 July 2009]
Details of arrest: Arrested on suspicion of ‘inciting subversion of State power’ whilst travelling in the area affected by the earthquake in Sichuan province which struck on 12 May 2008. He was formally charged on 20 June 2008 on suspicion of ‘illegally obtaining state secrets’, apparently for taking a photograph of an abandoned tank, but this charge was later dropped and he was tried on the more serious charge of ‘inciting subversion’ for his critical online writings and activism.
Details of trial: Zhang was tried in a one-hour closed trial by the Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing City on 15 June 2009 and convicted of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ for his online dissident writings. No verdict has yet been issued. [He was sentenced to 4 years in prison on 8 July for eight articles published online].
Place of detention: Detention Centre of Qixian County, Chongqing.
Treatment in prison: Held incommunicado
Other information: Zhang Qi is the Chongqing co-ordinator of the online political group Pan-Blue Alliance, which reportedly supports the government in Taiwan.
Honorary member of: Independent Chinese PEN Centre.

ZHENG Yichun
D.o.b.: 27 January 1959 Profession: Poet, professor and freelance journalist
Date of arrest: 3 December 2004 Sentence: 7 years in prison Expires: 19 December 2011
Details of arrest: Zheng Yichun was detained on 3 December 2004 and on 20 December 2004 arrested on a charge in connection with sixty-three articles he had written for foreign-based publications and websites.
Details of trial: The Yingkou Intermediate People’s Court, Liaonin Province, northeast China convicted Zheng Yichun, on 21 July 2005 of ‘incitement to subversion of state power’ for his critical writings, many of which were posted on-line on overseas web-sites. He was sentenced on 20 September 2005 to 7 years imprisonment and 3 years deprivation of political rights, and his appeal was rejected on 22 December 2005.
Place of detention: Jinzhou Prison, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province.
Health concerns: Zheng Yichun is a diabetic. It was reported that on 26 May 2008 Yichun suffered cerebral thrombosis, which caused paralysis in part of his face and difficulty in moving his right arm. Zheng was sent to a hospital outside the prison, but was returned after doctors decided that his condition was not serious. Medical facilities in the prison are not able to treat his condition and his relatives are therefore said to be requesting his release on medical parole.
Professional details: A member of the Korean minority. Has published eight collections of poetry and nearly 200 essays and political articles. Publications to have recently carried his articles include Da Ji Yuan (Epoch Times) and websites such as Boxun and Min Zhu Lun Tan (Democracy Forum), all of them based abroad. Before his arrest, Zheng was also an English professor at the University of Liaoning.
Honorary member of: PEN Canada, PEN Flanders and Independent Chinese PEN.

Imprisoned: Investigation

Ablikim ABDIRIYIM: Political activist. Sentenced to nine years in prison on 17 April 2007, on charges of ‘posting secessionist articles online’. Abdiriyim is the son of a renowned activist and belongs to the Uighur ethnic minority group. He was reportedly charged with trying to post two articles online, that he had downloaded on the Internet. According to the verdict, ‘these articles distorted China’ human rights and ethnic policies’. He was arrested in June 2006 and he is being held incommunicado. Chinese official sources name the articles concerned as ‘Issues to be aware of and prohibited in Jihad’ and ‘Struggle toward independence’. Abdiriyim’s family reported that during his trial, he was denied legal representation. International PEN is seeking information that would clarify his position on the use of violence to achieve change.

Mehbube ABLESH (f):Uighur journalist and poet. Reportedly arrested in August 2008 after posting two critical articles online. According to PEN’s information, journalist and poet Mehbube Ablesh, aged twentynine, worked for the Xinjiang People’s Radio Station, a government-run station based in the provincial capital Urumqi, until she was dismissed from her post in early August 2008 and arrested. It is thought that she is held for being critical of Chinese government policy and the provincial leadership in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. She is believed to be held in Urumqi as of 30 June 2009, and no details of any charges have been made public. WiPC seeking confirmation that she remains detained and if so, further details of the charges against her.

*FAN Yanqiong (f): Human rights defender and internet writer. Reportedly arrested on 26 June 2009 in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, after posting articles online alleging official misconduct and corruption. No charges have been made known and she remains detained as of 30 June 2009.

*GAO Zhisheng: Human rights lawyer. Repportedly arrested by security forces on 19 January 2009, and held in an undisclosed location since then. Gao has been under surveillance since December 2006, when he was given a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, for ‘inciting subversion’ for his critical postings online. WiPC seeking further details.

GUAN Jian: Reporter for the weekly Wanglou Bao (Network News), based in Beijing. Reportedly arrested on 1 December 2008 and held incommunicado since then. It is said that he had been investigating a case of alleged corruption in land transaction in Taiyuan city, capital of the Shanxi province. Guan, aged 49, was detained at a hotel by police from the bordering province of Hebei. According to Beijing News, a source from the Public Security Department said that Guan had been charged with corruption, but no official statement has been given. WiPC seeking confirmation that he remains detained and of any charges against him.

JING Jianfeng: Journalist for the Democracy and Legal Times, based in Guangdong province. Reportedly arrested and charged in October 2008 with ‘obstructing official business’, ‘possessing stolen goods’, and ‘accepting bribes’ between 24 April and 11 May 2008. It is said that he amassed over 7 million yuan by illegal means, although it is thought the charges could be trumped up and that he may be targeted for his reporting on official corruption. His trial was due to start on 24 October 2008 in Linxian Court, Luliang City. WiPC seeking an update.

*TAN Zuoren: D.o.b.: 15 May 1954 Literary editor and environmentalist, was reportedly detained by police in Chengdu City, province of Sichuan, on suspicion of subversion, on 28 March 2009. It is believed he is being held at the Wenjuang Detention Centre. On the day of his arrest, Tan’s home was raided by the authorities and his books and writing were siezed. Tan is believed to be held for his investigation into the deaths of school children when school buildings collapsed after the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008. He had reportedly planned to publish his findings in an independent report on the first anniversary of the earthquake, 12 May 2009. Tan is chief editor of the cultural magazine Wen Hua Ren and the founder of an environmental organisation ‘Green Rivers’. He has also published many articles and blogs online. Still detained without charge as of 30 June 2009.

YANG Chunlin: Human rights defender, was reportedly detained in Beijing on 24 May 2008, and transferred to Jixi City Detention Centre, on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power’. It is believed that the charges are linked to Yang’s distribution of an article ‘Save China, Implement Constitutional Democracy’; interviews he gave to the Epoch Times and other international media; and for allegedly drafting articles against socialism. Yang claims to have been ill-treated in detention. He was tried in January 2009, but the court did not issue a sentence. WiPC seeking further information.

Brief detention

*Jiang QISHENG: Independent Chinese PEN Centre Vice President, writer and former physicist. Reportedly detained and interrogated by police in Beijing on 2 April 2009. While he was being interrogated, police searched his home, confiscated three computers, bank cards, books, notebooks, and manuscripts, and cut off his family’s telephone. Jiang was questioned extensively about commemorations planned for the 4 June 20th anniversary, Charter 08, and Liu Xiaobo (see ‘main case’ above). Jiang was released later the same day. He was briefly detained again for several hours on 15 May 2009, apparently for planning to publish a report on the suppression of the 1989 protests and its aftermath.

*ZHAO Dagong: Writer and member of Independent Chinese PEN Centre based in Shenzen. Reportedly briefly detained on 1 June 2009 as part of a crackdown on activists planning to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the suppression of the 4 June 1989 pro-democracy protests.

Released

HE Yanjie: Freelance reporter. Arrested on 25 June 2007 with Qi Chonghuai (see ‘main case’ above) and sentenced to two years in prison for an article alleging corruption in the Tengzhou Communist Party, published in June 2007 on the Xinhuanet website. Presumed freed on expiry of sentence.

Tohti TUNYAZ (pen-name MUZART): Ethnic Uighur historian and writer. Arrested on 6 February 1998 in Urumchi, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, whilst on a research trip. He was charged on 10 November 1998 with “inciting national disunity” and “stealing state secrets for foreign persons” (later amended by the Supreme Court to “illegally acquiring state secrets”). Tohti Tunyaz was studying for a Ph.D. in Uighur history and ethnic relations at Tokyo University, Japan, at the time of his arrest, and the charges against him are believed to be linked to his research, and specifically a book allegedly published by Tohti in Japan in 1998 entitled The Inside Story of the Silk Road, which according to the Chinese government advocates ethnic separation. No such book appears to exist. Sentenced to eleven years’ imprisonment and two years’ deprivation of political rights. Released on completion of his prison sentence on 10 February 2009 but remains under restriction and therefore unable to rejoin his wife and children in Japan.

YANG Zili and ZHANG Honghai: Writer and computer engineer, and freelance writer respectively. Arrested on 13 March 2001 and each sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of ‘subversion’ for their participation in the ‘Xin Qingnian Xuehui’ (New Youth Study Group), an informal gathering of individuals concerned with political and economic inequalities who used the internet to circulate relevant articles. They were arrested and tried with Xu Wei and Jin Haike, who remain imprisoned serving their ten –year sentence, see ‘main cases’ above.) On 12 March 2009 Yang Zili and Zhang Honghai were released from Beijing Prison No. 2 on completion of their sentence.

Case closed

NARANBILIG: Journalist, web editor and human rights activist. Arrested on 23 March 2008 and held until 12 April 2008, when he was sentenced to one-year of house arrest for his activities in support of Mongol minority rights. Sentenced expired on 11 April 2009.

Tsering WOESER (f): Award-winning Tibetan writer and poet. Placed under house arrest in Beijing on 10 March 2008 after demonstrations began in Lhasa in early March 2008. Case closed as not believed to remain under house arrest though remains under heavy surveillance and restriction.

TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION(TAR)
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Imprisoned: Main cases

Dawa GYALTSEN
D.o.b.: 1969. Profession: Studied banking and accountancy, and worked for a bank.
Date of arrest: November 1995 Sentence: 18 years imprisonment. Expires: November 2013
Details of arrest: Arrested for writing pro-independence pamphlets which were posted in April 1995 as part of a widespread protest against the Chinese authorities. The pamphlets reportedly contained a brief history of Tibet as an independent nation and pro-independence slogans.
Details of trial: In May 1996, Nagchu Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Gyalsten to eighteen years’ imprisonment on charges of carrying out “counter-revolutionary propaganda”. His brother Nyima Gyaltsen was sentenced to thirteen years’ imprisonment for leading the protest. Three other monks co-accused with the Gyaltsen brothers were sentenced to lesser terms ranging from two-six years for their participation in the protest, and have now been freed on expiry of their sentences.
Place of detention: Tibet Autonomous Region Prison (formerly Drapchi Prison), Lhasa.
Treatment in prison: Said to have been severely tortured whilst under interrogation.
Honorary member: PEN America.

Dolma KYAB
Profession: Writer and teacher.
Date of arrest: 9 March 2005. Sentence: Ten and a half years in prison. Expires: 8 October 2015.
Details of arrest: Dolma Kyab was reportedly arrested in the city of Lhasa for allegedly endangering state security in his book. The charges against Dolma Kyab appear to be based on his unpublished book Sao dong de Ximalayasha (The Restless Himalayas). In another book, Dolma Kyab reportedly gives sensitive information on issues such as the location and number of Chinese military camps in Tibet. Following his pre-trial detention at the Tibetan Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau Detention Centre, also known as the ‘Seitru’, Dolma Kyab reportedly contracted tuberculosis and was transferred to Chushul Prison in March 2006 after receiving medical treatment for his condition.
Details of trial: Dolma Kyab was charged with ‘espionage’ and ‘illegal border crossing’. His trial was conducted in secrecy.
Place of Detention: Reportedly transferred to Xi’ning Prison, Qinghai Province, north-western China on 19 July 2007.
Health concerns: Said to be in very poor health and has to do hard labour.
Honorary member of: English, American and German PEN.

*Paljor NORBU (aka Panjue Ruobu)
D.o.b.: 1927 Profession: Printer.
Date of arrest: 31 October 2008
Sentence: 7 years in prison Expires: 30 October 2015
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested from his home in Lhasa for allegedly printing ‘prohibited material’, including the banned Tibetan flag. His family were not informed of his arrest.
Details of trial: Reportedly tried in secret in November 2008, possibly on charges of ‘inciting separatism’, and sentenced to seven years in prison. His family were informed of the sentence in writing but have not been allowed to visit him. His where abouts are unknown.
Other information: According to Human Rights Watch, Norbu, aged 81, comes from a family with a long history of printing and publishing Buddhist texts for monasteries. He is said to be an internationally renowned master printer. He used both modern and traditional woodblock printing techniques in his workshop, which employed several dozen workers. In addition to religious texts, the shop also printed prayer flags, folk reproductions, books, leaflets and traditional literature. After his arrest the shop was closed down and books and woodblocks confiscated.

Imprisoned: Investigation

*Kunchok Tsephel GOPEY TSANG: Internet writer and editor of the Tibetan language website Chomei (The Lamp) http://www.tibetcm.com, which promotes Tibetan culture and literature. Reportedly arrested by Chinese security officials at his home in the town of Nyul-ra, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province on 26 February 2009. He is believed to be held at a detention centre in Gannan. At the time of his arrest, Gopey Tsang’s house was searched and his computer confiscated. There is no information on the reason for his arrest and no charges have been made public. The website was created by Gopey Tsang and Tibetan poet Kyab-chen De-drol in 2005 and since then has been closely monitored by the authorities. It is said that the site was shut down several times during 2007 and 2008. This is not the first time that Gopey Tsang has been arrested. In 1995 he was held for two months by Public Security Bureau officials on unknown charges, and was reportedly ill-treated in detention.
No further information as of 30 June 2009.
[RAN 16/09 – 17 March 2009].

*Drokru TSUILTRIM: Tibetan magazine editor of Khawai Tsesok (Soul of the Snow). Reportedly arrested in early April 2009 by the Chinese authorities from his room in Ngaba Gomang monastery, eastern Tibet. There are reports that he was arrested for his alleged anti-government articles in support of ‘separatist forces’ of the Dalai Lama. It is said that the authorities have suspended the publication of Tsuiltrim’s magazine. There is no information on his whereabouts as of 30 June 2009.

Ludrup PHUNTSOK: Monk at Achog Tsenyi monastery. Reportedly sentenced on 28 October 2008 to 13 years in prison for helping to edit the book Mahseng Zhedra. WiPC seeking further information.

*Rangjung: D.o.b.: c: 1984 Tibetan writer, singer and television presenter, was reportedly arrested at his home in Amdo Golok, eastern Tibet, and has been held without charge since 11 September 2008. It is feared that he may be detained for views expressed on his web blog: http://www.tibetabc.cn/user1/lcjk/index.html Rangjung (who like many Tibetans is known by one name only) is known for his outspoken pro-Tibetan views, and has published two books on Tibetan culture and history, Dhung shen kharpo (Pure Loyalty) and Himalaya Reboed (Himalaya Call for Hope). He worked as a news presenter for a local television company prior to his arrest. He has four children, and his family have reportedly not been informed of the reason for his arrest. WiPC seeking an update.
[RAN 53/08 – 15 October 2008]

*Kunga TSEYANG (aka Gangnyi (‘Snow Sun’): D.o.b.: c.1989 Tibetan writer and environmentalist. Reportedly arrested on 17 March 2009 for critical essays posted online. Tseyang lives in the Lungkar monastery in Golok county (eastern Tibet). He also studied at Labdrang Tashi Kyil monastery and the Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. He has written many articles about Buddhism and Tibetan art and culture, including the widely-read, “China must apologize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama” Tseyang is also an environmental activist and a regular contributor to the Yutse Environment Department as a photographer. The authorities have not said why he has been arrested or where he is being held. WiPC seeking further information.

In Hiding: Main case

Ven.Richen SANGPO:
D.o.b.: 1974. Profession: Tibetan monk and writer.
Details of harassment: Reportedly subject to harassment and ill treatment by the authorities since August 2006, when he was released from one month’s detention without charge. He was first arrested on or around 19 July 2006 and held without charge for a month, apparently for his critical writings. Although no charges have been brought against Ven.Rinchen Sangpo, it is thought he is targeted for his critical writings, most recently two unpublished works entitled The Story of Blood and The Story of Lhasa. He has since been subject to movement restrictions and repeated harassment by the authorities. He was reportedly arrested again on 4 April 2007 in Amdo Golak while on his way to a religious festival, and held for five days in various police stations and beaten by officers. He also claims to have been tortured whilst in police custody. He has since been living in hiding in rural Tibet.
Professional details: Ven.Richen Sangpo has been known to the Chinese authorities since 2004, when his work No Retreating Path was recalled shortly after publication by the Chinese Authorities as it was deemed to be political. Ven.Rinchen Sangpo is editor of the periodical ‘Tune of Shachi River’, and is known for his poetry, short stories and articles published in various literary magazines and newspapers in Tibet. One of his most recent manuscripts is said to have been turned down for publication by Sambhoda publishing house.
Honorary Member of: German and Ghanaian PEN.

EAST TIMOR
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On trial

Jose Antonio BELO: Editor-in-chief of the Tempo Semanal. Reportedly facing charges of criminal defamation under articles 310, 311 and 312 of the Indonesian Penal Code, after publishing an article on alleged corruption and nepotism on 12 October 2008. On 12 December 2008 Belo was officially notified of the charges, and could face up to six years in prison if found guilty. In early February 2009 Belo was questioned for three hours at the prosecutor’s office, but there is still no certainty of when the case will go to court. Parts of the Indonesian Penal Court are still in force in East Timor. No further information as of 30 June 2009.

FIJI ISLANDS
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Sentenced: non-custodial

*Rex GARDENER and Netani RIKA: Publisher and editor-in-chief of the Fiji Times, received a suspended sentence on 22 January 2009 over the publication of a letter that criticised the validation of the military coup of 2006. Rika was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years; while Gardener was discharged on condition of good behaviour for one year. The Fiji Times published admission of content admitting guilt; however, it was fined FJD$100,000 (approx. US$54,000) by the High Court.

Brief detention

*Pita LIGAIULA (f): Journalist for the news agency Pacnews, owned by the Pacific Islands News Association. Reportedly detained on 20 April 2009 following a complaint over her articles published by the Associated Press. She was held overnight and released twelve hours later.

*Dionisia TURAGABECI (f) and Shelvin CHAND: Journalists for Fijilive, an independent online news service. Reportedly detained under Emergency laws on 9 May 2009 for a report posted on Fijilive regarding the release of eight soldiers and one police officer, who were allegedly imprisoned for manslaughter. Turagabeci and Chand were held for 48 hours at Suva’s Central Police Station, and then released.

INDIA
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Killed: motive unknown

*Anil MAZUMDER: Journalist and executive editor of the newspaper Aji (Today), reportedly shot dead outside his home in Rajgarh, Guwahati city, on 24 March 2009 by an unidentified group of men. The authorities are investigating Mazumder’s death. Not clear if related to his writings.

Imprisoned: Investigation

*B.V.SEETARAM: Editor-in-chief of Chitra Publications, reportedly arrested in early January 2009 on defamation charges filed against him two years earlier. Chitra’s principal publication is said to be the evening newspaper Karavali Ale, which allegedly has been facing difficulties with its distribution due to political intervention. Reportedly previously faced harassment for his work.

On trial

*Ravindra KUMAR and Anand SINHA: Editor and publisher respectively of the Indian newspaper The Statesman. Reportedly charged with ‘offending religious feelings’ under Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code on 11 February 2009. It has been reported that the charges are linked to the publication of an article entitled “Why should I respect these oppressive religions?” written by British journalist and writer Johann Hari, which provoked public demonstrations, mainly by some Muslim groups. Kumar and Sinha appeared in a Court in Calcutta and were granted bail on 11 February. Kumar has reportedly made a public apology for publishing the piece. The trial continues.

Lenin KUMAR ROY: Writer and editor of the quarterly magazine Nishan. Reportedly arrested on 8 December 2008 in Bhubaneswar, Orissa state for his book allegedly condemning Hindu extremists for supporting a campaign causing inter-communal violence. Kumar Roy has reportedly been charged under Articles 153-A and 295-A of the Indian Penal Code for publishing ‘provocative literature likely to disturb peace and communal harmony’. Two of Kumar Roy’s assistants, Ravy Jena and Dhananjay Lenka who work for Sovan Press, were also arrested. It has been reported that the authorities seized around seven hundred copies of Kumar Roy’s book, which has been described by the police as ‘Maoist literature’. On 17 December 2008 Kumar Roy and his assistants were released on bail. WiPC seeking an update.

Case closed

K. SRINIVAS, Kumar VAMSHI and N. SRINIVAS: Editor and reporters for the Telugu-language newspaper Andhra Jyoti. Reportedly arrested on 24 June 2008 under a law prohibiting insults to the dignity of people of lower ritual status in the Indian caste hierarchy. They allegedly criticised the leader of the community-based organisation Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS). After the publication of the editorial on 26 May 2008 the newspaper’s offices were attacked, allegedly by members of MRPS. On 27 June, the three journalists were released on bail. Case closed for lack of further information.

INDONESIA
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Killing

*Anak Agung PRABANGSA: Journalist for the Indonesian-language newspaper Radar Bali. His body was reportedly found on 16 February 2009 off the coast near Padangbai Bay, after he was reported missing four days earlier. According to the director of the newspaper, two weeks earlier Prabangsa, 41, received threatening calls on his mobile phone. Reports say that he had previously published investigative reports on alleged corruption on local governmental projects on education.

Brief detention

*Eliske SCHOUTEN: Jakarta-based correspondent for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Reportedly arrested on 24 March 2009 when covering a demonstration in Jayapura. The demonstration was to welcome the return of one of the founders of the Papuan independence movement, who had spent the last forty years in Holland. Schouten was released after twelve hours.

Case closed

Narliswandi PILIANG: Journalist, reportedly charged with defamation in early September 2008 for an article entitled ‘Behind Adaro Co’s Lobbing in Parliament’, published in the Pembaka Kompas Readers’ Forum mailing list. No further information as of end June 09, case closed.

MALAYSIA
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Main case: non-custodial

Raja Petra KAMARUDIN
D.o.b.: Profession: Internet writer and editor of the website Malaysiatoday.
Date of arrest: 6 May 2008
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested and charged with sedition on 6 May 2008 for an article he published on 25 April 2008 entitled “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell”, available on http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=6604. The article allegedly contained seditious wording including allegations that the Prime Minister might be covering evidence of a murder that occurred in 2006. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was sent to prison. Kamarudin was released on bail on 9 May 2008. The trial started on 6 October 2008 and is ongoing. An arrest warrant was reportedly issued against him on 23 April 2009 after he failed to attend a trial hearing. Kamarudin is believed to have left Malaysia for fear of further arrest. If convicted he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
Other information: Briefly detained from 16 September-7 November 2008 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in a seperate case.
Honorary member of: Scottish and Danish PEN. [RAN 48/08 – 29 September 2008]

Brief detention

*Wong Chen HUAT: Writer, academic, chair of the Writers’ Alliance for Media Independence and of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections. Reportedly arrested on 5 May 2009 over his campaign named ‘1BlackMalasya’, calling people to wear black clothes on the day the parliament was due to reconvene on 7 May. While Huat was arrested, many of his supporters attended a candlelight vigil opposite to the police station where he was detained, and some of them were also briefly arrested. Huat was released on bail on 8 May 2009. He has written extensively on democracy in Malaysia.

Harassed

*Khalid MOHD (pen name: Awang Selamat): Journalist and former editor-in-chief of the Utusan Malaysia. Reportedly harassed by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) on 3 June 2009 for an article claiming that non-Malays had allegedly over demanded their rights, published on 31 May 2009. The piece has reportedly originated great debate, and on 3 June the President of the MIC urged the authorities to charge Mohd under the Sedition Act.

Case closed

Syed Azidi Syed Abdul AZIZ: Blogger. Reportedly arrested on 17 September 2008 for posting allegedly seditious materials online. He runs the kickdefella blog which is known for its criticism of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmd Badawi. Case closed for lack of further information.

MALDIVES
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On Trial

*Hammed Abdul KAREEM: Former editor of Manas magazine, has been reportedly charged with criminal defamation by the general prosecutor. Criminal proceedings started in early June 2009. It is believed that the case is linked to an article Kareem wrote for Manas in 2007, in which he made comments about the former head of the judiciary and his loyalty to the former president.

MYANMAR (BURMA)
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Imprisoned: Main cases

AUNG SAN Suu Kyi (f)
Profession: Leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and writer.
Date of arrest: 30 May 2003
Details of arrest: Taken into ‘protective custody’ following violent clashes between opposition and pro-government supporters on 30 May 2003. The military government reported that four people were killed in the clashes, though eyewitnesses estimate the numbers killed to be over sixty. Many were also injured, including Aung San Suu Kyi. Held under successive house arrest orders in ‘protective custody’ at her home in Yangon until 14 May 2009, when she was taken to the notorious Insein Prison in Yangon. Suu Kyi and two members of her house staff are detained under Section 22 of the State Protection Law for “subversion”, following an incident in which a US citizen reportedly swam across the lake to her home and in doing so violated the ban on her meeting with anyone without prior permission. Her trial began on 18 May 2009 and is ongoing as of 30 June 2009. She could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Place of detention: Insein prison.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was held under de facto house arrest for six years from July 1989-July 1995, and again from September 2000 until May 2002, when she was released as part of UN-brokered confidential talks between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the NLD which began in October 2000.
Professional details: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 1991. She is the author of many books, including Freedom From Fear (1991), Letters from Burma (1997), The Voice of Hope (1997).
Honorary member of: Canadian and English PEN.

AUNG Than, Zeya AUNG, MAUNG Maung Oo and SEIN Hlaing
Profession: Student activist and NLD member, student, publisher and distributor respectively.
Date of arrest: 29 March 2006 Sentence: 19 years in prison (Aung Than and Zeya Aung), 14 years in prison (Maung Maung Oo) and seven years in prison (Sein Hliang). Expires: 28 March 2025 (Aung Than and Zeya Aung), 28 March 2020 (Maung Maung Oo) and 28 March 2013 (Sein Hliang).
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested with 6 others near the Thai-Burmese border town of Myawaddy for publishing an ‘anti-government’ book of poems entitled Dawn Mann (The Fighting Spirit of the Peacock). The peacock is the symbol of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar. Six others also detained in connection with the publishing of the book were freed after a brief detention. Also charged with associating with outlawed organisations and illegally crossing an international boundary.
Details of trial: Convicted by a criminal court in Pegu, north of Rangoon, on 9 June 2006 under the Printers and Publishers Registration Act. The appeals filed by Aung Than and Zeya Aung against their 19 year prison sentences were rejected by the Rangoon high court the same day it was presented, in late November 2006.
Place of detention: All transferred to Insein jail, Rangoon except Sein Hliang, who is still held in Pegu jail.
Health concerns: In November 2008 it was reported that detained poet Aung Than may be suffering from HIV Aids after being allegedly forcibly injected in Insein prison hospital in 2006. Several months later, he reportedly became ill with symptoms typical of HIV AIDS, although this cannot be confirmed as his request to be tested for the disease has been refused. He strongly asserts that he was not suffering from the disease prior to his imprisonment. Sources close to the poet say that he is now in a critical condition.
Honorary member of: American PEN.

Ko AUNG Tun
D.o.b.: 1967. Profession: Student activist and writer.
Date of arrest: February 1998 Sentence: 13 years in prison. Expires: February 2011
Details of arrest: At a 1 March 1998 press conference the SPDC claimed Ko Aung Tun had been arrested for ‘collaborating with terrorist groups’. Opposition sources, however, state the real reason for his arrest as being a book he had written on the history of the student movement in Myanmar.
Details of trial: According to an official statement, Ko Aung Tun was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment under the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act, 7 years under the Unlawful Association Act, and 7 years under the Emergency Provisions Act. Sentence thought to be combined as 13 years.
Place of detention: Insein Prison.
Treatment in prison: Reportedly held incommunicado in solitary confinement and has reportedly been ill-treated, including threats and severe beatings.
Health concerns: Said to be in very poor health as a result of ill treatment in prison. Ko Aung Tun is reportedly vomiting blood as a result of his beatings, and is also said to be suffering from severe asthma and tuberculosis. There is serious concern for his safety.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Ko Aung Tun was active in the student-led 1988 prodemocracy movement, and was reportedly previously imprisoned from 1990-94.
Other information: Aung Tun is a recipient of the 1999 Hellman/Hammett Award.
Honorary members of: Norwegian, Canberra and Canadian PEN Centres.

U AYE Kyu (aka ‘Monywa’ Aung Shin)
Profession: Former newspaper editor and poet. Senior official of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Date of arrest: September 2000. Sentence: 21 years in prison. Expires: September 2021
Details of arrest: Among five senior NLD officials (including former PEN main case Aung Myint, released under amnesty in January 2005) to be arrested in September 2000. They were detained for writing a statement that was to be sent to the authorities protesting the September 2000 house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi (see above) and calling for the release of other NLD members and the re-opening of NLD party offices. All five men were detained two days after the statement was broadcast on a US-based radio station.
Details of trial: Sentenced on 14 September 2000 to 14 years under the press law and 7 years under security legislation.
Place of detention: Insein Prison
Health concerns: U Aye Kyu is said to suffer acute asthma. Professional details: Aye Kyu started to publish poetry in 1962 and was banned from publication in 1988. Also former editor of a banned literary journal.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Aye Kyu was previously detained from 1967-1970, and served four months in 1990 for his opposition activities.

MAUNG Thura (aka’Zargana’)
D.o.b.: 27 January 1961 Profession: Leading comedian, poet and opposition activist.
Date of arrest: 4 June 2008. Sentence: 59 years in prison, reduced to 35 years. Expires: 3 June 2043
Details of arrest: Arrested for leading a private relief effort to deliver aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis which struck on 2 May 2008. The Asian Human Rights Commission reported that Zargana had given interviews to overseas radio stations and other media about his work and the needs of the people, and that he had ridiculed state media reports about the effect of the cyclone.
Details of trial: On 14 August 2008 Zargana and journalist Zaw Thet Htwe (see below) appeared at a hearing held at the Rangoon West District Court within the Insein prison precincts, where both were charged. Zargana was charged with seven offences, including under sections 505(b) and 295 of the Criminal Code, section 17(2) of the Unlawful Associations Act, sections 32(b)/36 of the Video Act and sections 33(a)/38 of the Electronic Act. On 21 November 2008 Zargana was handed down a forty-five year prison sentence for violating the Electronics Act. Days later, on 27 November, he was given a further fourteen-year prison sentence for offences under four sections on the criminal code 17/2, 32(b), 295(a), for his peaceful opposition activities. Zargana was to serve a total of 59-year prison term, but on 13 February 2009 the Rangoon Division Court reduced this term by 24 years to 35 years. His family will appeal against the conviction.
Place of detention: Zargana was initially detained in Insein Prison, but on 4 December 2008 he was transferred to the remote Myitkyina prison, in the northern state of Kachin.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Zargana is Burma’s leading comedian, popular for his political satires. He spent several years in prison in the early 1990s for his opposition activities. During that time he was taken up as a main case by the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN. Zargana, whose pseudonym means ‘tweezers’ and refers to his years spent training as a dentist, was first arrested in October 1988 after making fun of the government, but freed six months later. However, on 19 May 1990, he impersonated General Saw Maung, former head of the military government, to a crowd of thousands at the Yankin Teacher’s Training College Stadium in Rangoon. He was arrested shortly afterwards, and sentenced to five years in prison. He was held in solitary confinement in a tiny cell in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, where he began writing poetry. One of his prison poems was published in the International PEN anthology This Prison Where I Live. After his release from prison in March 1994, Zargana was banned from performing in public, but continued to make tapes and videos which were strictly censored by the authorities. In May 1996, after speaking out against censorship to a foreign journalist, he was banned from performing his work altogether, and stripped of his freedom to write and publish. On 25 September 2007 he was arrested for his support to the monks demonstrating in the capital, Rangoon. He was released on 18 October 2007.
Health concerns: In late April 2009 it was reported that Zargana had collapsed at Myitkyina prison. He is said to be suffering from heart problems, jaundice and a stomach ulcer which pre-date his current imprisonment. Zargana was taken to Myitkyina Hospital where he underwent some tests, although the specialist medical care he requires is reportedly not available at this hospital. However he is now receiving some medication and in early May was returned to prison.
Treatment in prison: Zargana has been denied full family visiting rights.
Other information: On 22 October 2008 PEN Canada presented the ‘2008 One Humanity Award’ to Zargana in absentia. He was also awarded the ‘Imprisoned Artist Prize’, as part of Artventure’s Freedom to Create Prize, on 26 November 2008. His mother died of cancer in late March 2009.
Honorary member of: English, German, Canadian, Swiss-Italian, Sydney, American and Danish PEN.
[RAN 31/08 and updates]

Saw WEI
Profession: Poet. Date of arrest: 22 January 2008. Sentence: Two years in prison. Expires: 21 January 2010
Details of arrest: Arrested for publishing a love poem which cryptically criticized General Than Shwe, the head of Burma’s ruling military junta. The poem, entitled ‘February the Fourteenth’ was published in that week’s issue of the Rangoon-based weekly magazine Love Journal, and is an eight-line verse about Valentine’s Day. However, when the first letters of each line of the poem are put together, they read “General Than Shwe is crazy with power” in Burmese. The weekly magazine quickly sold out as word spread of the coded message. Dissident writers in Burma have used similar techniques before to get their messages past government censors.
Details of trial: Charged under section 505(b) of the Criminal Code, which refers to ‘intent to cause harm to any section of the public to commit an offence against the State...’. He appeared in court three times, without legal representation. On 10 November 2008 it was reported that Saw Wei had been sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Place of detention: Transferred to Mandalay prison after the trial.
Professional details: Saw Wei is well known for his romantic poems and is also a performance artist. Until the time of his recent arrest, he headed the ‘White Rainbow’ poetry recital group, a group of artists and writers working to raise money for AIDS orphans. In 1988, he was dismissed from his job at the government communication office for taking part in the 1988 Uprising.
Honorary member of: American PEN.
[RAN 04/08 and updates]

WIN Maw
D.o.b.: 1962 Profession: Musician.
Date of arrest: 27 November 2007. Sentence: 6 years in prison. Expires: 26 November 2013
Details of arrest: According to PEN’s information, Win Maw was arrested on 27 November 2007 in a Rangoon teashop and charged under article 5 (j) of the penal code with ‘threatening national security’ after sending news reports and video footage to the Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma radio station during the protests in August and September 2007.
Details of trial: On 11 November 2008 it was reported that Win Maw had been sentenced to six years imprisonment for ‘sending false news abroad’. Tried at a special court held inside Insein jail.
Place of detention: Following the trial he was transferred to Mandalay prison.
Health concerns: It was reported on 7 May 2008 that Win Maw had been transferred to the prison hospital after a series of interrogation sessions carried out by officials of the Military Security Affairs. He is said to have suffered suspected collapsed lungs as a result of ‘water torture’, and to have now contracted pneumonia. His family have been denied access to him for over three weeks, and there are grave concerns for his welfare.
Professional details:Win Maw is lead guitarist in the music group Shwe Thansin, which was one of the top bands in Burma in the 1990’s. He was previously imprisoned from 1997-2003 for writing songs in support of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
[RAN 26/08 – 15 May 2008]

Zaw Thet HTWE
Profession: Journalist. Date of arrest: 13 June 2008. Sentence: 19 years. Expires: 12 June 2027.
Details of arrest: Arrested whilst visiting his sick mother in the town of Minbu, central Burma, and transferred to an interrogation centre in Yangon. His computer, mobile phone, and personal documents were also confiscated. No details were given to his family about the reason for his arrest or his place of detention. Zaw Thet Htwe had been working with comedian Zargana (see above) and other leading Burmese figures to deliver aid and support to the victims of Cyclone Nargis which struck on 2 May 2008.
Details of trial: On 14 August 2008 journalist Zaw Thet Htwe and comedian Zargana appeared at a hearing held at the Rangoon West District Court within the Insein prison precincts, where both were charged. Zaw Thet Htwe was charged with two offences, under section 505(b) of the Criminal Code, sections 33(a)/38 of the Video Act and section 17(2) of the Unlawful Associations Act. Days later, on 27 November, Zaw Thet Htwe was given a further four-year prison sentence, making a total of nineteen-year prison term.
Professional details: Zaw Thet Htwe formerly worked as editor of First Eleven Sports Journal, a popular sports journal in Myanmar.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: He was previously arrested in July 2003 on charges of treason following the publication of critical articles in the magazine. He was sentenced to death on 28 November 2003 by a military court in Insein Jail, but on 12 May 2004 the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to three years in prison and he was released in 2005. He also spent several years in detention in the 1990’s for his work with the banned political organisation ‘Democratic Party for a New Society’ which is now operating in exile.
Honorary member of: American PEN.
[RAN 34/08 and updates]

Imprisoned: investigation

*Zaw TUN: Former chief reporter of the journal The News Watch. Reportedly sentenced to two years in prison by the Bahan Township Court on 19 June 2009. Reports say that the charges were for obstructing a public servant in the discharging of his duty. The case dates from September 2008, when Tun was found by a security officer near Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound (see ‘main case’ above), and after being questioned he was arrested. According to the security officer, Tun had responded impolitely to the police questions on the reasons for being near Aung San Suu Kyi’s house. Subsequently, Tun was released on bail, until he learned the sentence in the court hearing.

Brief detention

*Tun Tun NAING and Khin Maung AYE: Reporters for the privatelyowned weekly News Watch, were reportedly arrested on 5 November 2008 and are held in Insein prison. On 4 February 2009 both reporters were released after serving a three-month sentence for their pro-democracy activities.

Case closed

Yan Yan CHAN: Rap singer, was reportedly arrested on 17 April 2008 for the lyrics of his songs, which refer to the lack of press freedom in Burma. Case closed for lack of further information.

NEPAL
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Killed

*Uma SINGH (f): Journalist for the daily Janakpur Today and human rights activist. Reportedly attacked on 11 January 2009 at her home, about 400 Km from Kathmandu, when a group of fifteen men broke into her rented room and beat her in front of other tenants. Singh, aged 24, died on her way to the hospital. It is thought she may have been targeted for her articles critical of the dowry system, in which before a wedding, the bride’s family has the duty to give money or a piece of land to the husband. The authorities are investigating the killing.

Attacked

*Ramjee DAHAL: Secretary of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), was reportedly attacked on 16 June 2009, while on his way to an event organised by the FNJ in Nepalgunj. The attackers were allegedly members of the All Nepal National Free Student Union, who vandalised Dahal’s car by throwing stones.

Threatened

*Mankika JHA (f): Reporter based in Dhanusa, was reportedly threatened on 11 January 2009 by a group of three or four people who broke the windows of her home and threatened her for her writings. The authorities reportedly provided protection to the journalist’s home.

*Sajaya SAHA: Sub-editor for the weekly Janapratibimba, was reportedly threatened by the Sub-Inspector of the District Police Office, in Birgunj, south of the country, on 16 May 2009. Reports say that the threats were linked to Saha’s articles regarding alleged police corruption.

PAKISTAN
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Killed: motive unknown

*Wasi AHMED: Khuzdar correspondent for the daily newspaper Baluchistan Express, based in Quetta. Reportedly shot in the stomach while in front of a newspaper stall, on 11 April 2009. The newspaper vendor was also injured. Ahmed died on 16 April in a Karachi hospital. There are reports that the journalist may have been targeted by a Baloch separatist group.

*Raja Assad HAMMEED: Senior journalist for the newspaper Nation and a TV station. Reportedly shot dead by unidentified men as he arrived home in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, on 26 March 2009. The motives for his murder are not clear, but Hammeed’s colleagues fear his death is linked to his reporting. Days after Hammeed’s death, demonstrations took place in Islamabad protesting the government’s failure to protect journalists’ lives.

*Musa KHANKEHL: Journalist for the daily The News and TV reporter. Reportedly shot dead in the Swat Valley region, northwest of the country, on 18 February 2009. The journalist was covering a peaceful protest lead by a Muslim cleric but became separated from his reporting team, and was later found in a militant-controlled area near the town of Matta, with gun shots in his body. Colleagues said that he had received death threats in the weeks before his death. The authorities are investigating the case.

*Aamir WAKIL: Journalist for the regional daily Awami Inqilab (The people’s revolution), based in Kohat, Peshawar. Reportedly killed on 24 January 2009 while on his way home in Rawalpindi. According to his family, a few hours before his death, Wakil mentioned that he had received death threats by unidentified people. His colleagues said Wakil, aged 40, could have been targeted for his activities as a professional journalist, although the authorities believe his death was a consequence of ‘personal disputes’. The authorities are investigating the case.

Imprisoned: Investigation

Abdur Rahim MUSLIM DOST. Afghan national, poet and magazine editor. Dost spent almost three years in US detention at Guantanamo Bay after being arrested with his younger brother in November 2001 by the Peshawar authorities then handed over to the US in February 2002. He was eventually released without charge on 20 April 2005 and returned to Pakistan. On 29 September 2006 he was again arrested in Peshawar by officers of the police Crime Investigation Department and an intelligence agency. Dost filed a habeas corpus petition on 5 October 2006 in the Peshawar High Court and the court subsequently requested information on his whereabouts from the federal and provincial authorities. He has reportedly still not been charged with a criminal offence and has not been brought before a magistrate. It is thought his arrest may be linked to a book he had written about his experiences as a detainee in Guantanamo Bay. Reported to remain detained in Peshawar Central Jail, WiPC seeking an update.

Kidnapped

*Khawar SHAFIQ: Correspondent for the Daily Waqt, based in Faisalabad city, was reportedly kidnapped by three men on 7 April 2009. Four days later he managed to run away from his abductors. Shafiq said that during his captivity he was asked for the addresses of the Pakistani journalists who had received fellowships from the Daniel Pearl Foundation in the USA. The journalist reported that he managed to flee from his armed captors while he was being transported by car to see a Sheikh, who would allegedly decide his fate. The car broke down, his captors attempted repairs and Shafiq ran away.

Attacked

*Imtiaz ALAM: Senior journalist and Secretary General of the South Asian Media Association (SAFMA), was reportedly assaulted while driving his car in Lahore on 18 February 2009. Around 11.00pm four young men attacked Alam’s car with hockey sticks and batons, breaking a window that injured the journalist’s arm. They fled the scene on motorcycles. Alam reported that about an hour after the attack he received a threatening phone call. The authorities are investigating the case.

*Kamal ASFAR: Journalist for the magazine Ash-Sharq (The East), was reportedly attacked by two men who shot at his car, near Kundyali, Kohat district, on 1 February 2009. The attack has been reported to the authorities. It is feared that Asfar was targeted for his articles on the Pakistani Taliban, religious parties and the current conflicts in Afghanistan. The journalist brother, Aamir Wakil, was shot dead on 24 January 2009 (see above).

*Jan Muhammad DASHTI: Owner and editor of the Baloch daily Asaap, was reportedly attacked while driving to the newspaper’s headquarters on 23 February 2009, when an unidentified person opened fire on his car. It is said that later a man who identified himself as the spokesperson of the sectarian group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack and accused Dashti of publishing a book which allegedly insulted the prophets and god. This man demanded that the authorities ban Dasht’s book, and threatened to attack the newspaper’s offices if that was not done. There are reports that Asaap published extracts of the book. Dashti is also a poet and has written five books. The Chief Minister of Balochistan and other local authorities have allegedly condemned the assault.

*Hameedullah KHAN: Correspondent for the newspaper Dwan, in the Swat Valley. His home in Shakar Darra village was destroyed by an explosion in early January 2009 during a government offensive against the Taliban. Khan’s family was amongst many in the area who had been forced to leave their homes on 28 December 2008 and returned 5 January 2009. Some colleagues believe that Khan’s home was targeted in retaliation for his work as a journalist.

On trial

Rehmat Shah AFRIDI
Profession: Editor-in-chief of the Peshawar-based English language daily The Frontier Post and its Urdu sister-paper Maidan.
Date of arrest: 2 April 1999
Sentence: Death, commuted to life imprisonment.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested on drugs charges, after Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officers allegedly found 21 kilograms of hashish in his car. He denies the charges and his colleagues believe his arrest to be politically motivated. Shortly before his arrest, Afridi had reportedly published two articles accusing officers of involvement in drug smuggling. Afridi claims he is the victim of an ANF set-up.
Details of trial: On 27 June 2001 Special Judge Syed Kazim Shamsi of the Anti Narcotics Court ruled in favour of a death sentence and a 1,000,000 Rs fine against him. The prosecution reportedly failed to produce any compelling evidence against him. On 3 June 2004 the death sentence was commuted on appeal by the Lahore High Court and Afridi was instead sentenced to life imprisonment. His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court on 6 April 2006. On 24 May 2008 Afridi was freed on parole by order of the Punjab’s Interior Ministry for good conduct in prison.
Other information: Father of Mahmood Afridi, managing editor of The Frontier Post charged in January 2001 with blasphemy.

Threatened

*Jabbar KHATTAK: Editor-in-chief of the newspaper Awami Awaz, reportedly threatened by a group belonging to the Sindh Nationalist Front (SNF), on 1 January 2009. It is said that around thirty people stormed into the newspaper’s headquarters, threatened the staff, and demanded to know Khattak’s whereabouts. Khattak was not at his office at the time. It is believed that the incident is linked to statements sent by the SNF which had been edited before publication in the newspaper.

PHILIPPINES
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Killed: Motive unknown

*Antonio CASTILLO: Columnist for the community newspaper Bigwas (Blow), was reportedly killed on 12 June 2009. It is said that the columnist was chased by two men on a motorcycle in the town of Uson, Masbate province, 403 kilometres from Manila. The men shot at him at close range, and he died at the Uson hospital few hours later. Castillo had reported on cases of alleged corruption in the local community.

Attacked

*Marjorie BANDAYREL-TRINIDAD (f): News editor for the weekly newspaper Abra Today, was reportedly attacked on 14 May 2009. The journalist and her husband were awakened by the sound of breaking glass at 3am on 14 May, and realised that shots had been fired at their home. Neither they nor their two-year old son were injured. The previous day, she had received a warning. It is widely believed that the attack is linked to an article published in the 9-13 issue of the weekly, alleging financial irregularities at the company that provides electricity to the local community.

Case closed

Ninez CACHO OLIVARES (f): Publisher, editor-in-chief and columnist of the newspaper The Daily Tribune, based on Manila. Reportedly found guilty of libel and sentenced to a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment on 5 June 2008 for an article published on 23 June 2003, which alleged malpractice against the then Ombudsman. Olivares has posted bail for her provisional appeal, and her defence filed an appeal. In early September 2008 Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 59 denied the motion for reconsideration of the Cacho Olivares case. Her defence reportedly will file another petition to the Court of Appeals. Case closed for lack of further information.

SOUTH KOREA
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Judicial concern

SONG Du-Yol
D.o.b.: 1944. Profession: Scholar. Professor of Philosophy at Muenster University, Germany. Has published several academic books.
Date of arrest: 22 October 2003. Sentence: Seven years’ imprisonment. Expires: 21 October 2010.
Details of arrest: Reportedly detained under the National Security Law (NSL) for alleged pro-north Korean activities. Asked to report to the National Intelligence Service on arrival at Seoul airport on 22 September 2003 after returning to the Republic of Korea after 37 years living in exile in Germany. The Korea Democracy Foundation had reportedly invited him to South Korea. Subject to extensive interrogation until 22 October 2003, when he was taken into custody. Charged on 19 November 2003 under Articles 3,5, and 8 of the NSL in connection with membership of the North Korean Workers Party. Prosecutors reportedly took a harsh stance towards him because he refused to make a formal pledge of loyalty to the Republic of Korea. He reportedly admits joining the North Korea Worker’s Party, but denies being a Politburo member. He gained German citizenship in 1993.
Details of trial: Reportedly sentenced on 30 April 2004 to 7 years in prison under the National Security Law by Seoul District Court. His academic articles and books allegedly ‘praising North Korea’ were reportedly raised in court by the prosecution as evidence against him.
Treatment in detention: Said to have been ill-treated during extensive interrogation sessions at which his lawyer was not allowed to be present.

Brief detention

*Park DAE-SUNG: Internet writer. Reportedly arrested on 7 January 2009 for posting reports on the financial crisis, including the collapse of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers. His comments were posted on 29 December 2008, and later withdrawn from the website. The authorities charged Dae-Sung on 22 January 2009, under the Electronic Communication laws for spreading rumours against the public interest and destabilising the foreign exchange market. On 20 April 2009 Dae- Sung was declared innocent of the charges against him and was released.

SRI LANKA
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Killed

*Lasantha WICKRAMATUNGA: Editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper. Shot and killed on the morning of 8 January 2009, as he drove to work. Wickramatunga, aged 52, was critically injured, and after three hours of surgery he died from his wounds. Just days beforehand he wrote an article predicting his murder, published posthumously in the Sunday Leader on 11 January 2008. Wickramatunga has been known for many years for his writings focusing on corruption, governmental policies and the long standing civil war in the Tamil area of North and East Sri Lanka. He received numerous death threats, was detained on several occasions, and has faced a number of libel cases. In November 2007 the printing press of the Sunday Leader was destroyed after an arson attack. In his last editorial Wickramatunga condemned the Sri Lankan president for failing to seriously investigate these attacks, and accused the government of using the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) to remain in power. He also criticised opposition leaders for remaining silent on the country’s conflict, suggesting that journalists were therefore forced to speak out: “That is why more journalists have been attacked in recent years than have opposition politicians,” he wrote. In early April 2009 UNESCO announced its decision to award posthumously the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize to Wickramatunga.
[RAN 01/09 – 13 January 2009]

Imprisoned: main cases

V. JASIKARAN and Jayaprakash Sittampalam TISSAINAYAGAM Profession: V. Jasikaran, Tamil journalist, owner of the E-Kwality printing works and reporter for the news website Outreach Sri Lanka (http://outreachsl.com/en/), and J. S. Tissainayagam, Tamil journalist for the Sunday Times newspaper and editor of Outreach Sri Lanka.
Date of arrest: 6 and 7 March 2008, respectively.
Details of arrest: V. Jasikaran was arrested with his wife V. Valamathy, by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo. The following day J. S. Tissainayagam was also arrested by the TID, following a visit he made to the offices of the TID requesting information about the detention of his colleague. There were no detention orders for their arrests. Initial reports suggested that both journalists were accused of receiving money from the Tamil Tiger rebel group; however it is widely believed that the two men are targeted for their reporting and analysis on the ongoing conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the northern part of the country. J.S. Tissainayagam was held under renewable 90-day detention orders.
Details of trial: On 25 August 2008 J.S. Tissainayagam was charged as follows: 1) offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act: in respect to printing, publishing, and distribution of the magazine North Eastern Monthly, between 1 June 2006 to 1 June 2007; 2) offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in respect of bringing the government into disrepute by the publication of articles in said magazine; and 3) the violation of Emergency Regulations by aiding and abetting terrorist organisations through the raising of money for said magazine. It is said that North Eastern Magazine was known to be a pro- Tamil English-language publication that closed down over a year ago. It was not considered to be pro-LTTE. His trial started on 18 September 2008 and is ongoing as of 30 June 2009. It is not yet clear if V. Jasikaran and his wife have also been charged.
Place of detention: J. S. Tissainayagam was transferred to Magazine prison in Colombo in mid- November 2008, where there are fears for his safety.
Treatment in prison: Both journalists are reportedly held with very limited access to their family, legal representation and to information on their case. On 18 November 2008, J. S. Tissainayagam was reportedly threatened by some inmates at the Magazine prison in Colombo and was not fed for two days. On 20 November 2008, representatives of the Ministry for Disaster Management and Human Rights visited J. S. Tissainayagam in prison, who provided assurances to protect J. S. Tissainayagam’s safety. His situation is thought to have improved as a result. Fellow Tamil journalist V. Jasikaran has also reported being subject to torture during his detention. Reports say that V. Jasikaran’s wife, who is also detained in the case apparently solely for her association with V. Jasikaran, had undergone an operation shortly before her detention, and has been denied access to medical care.
Health concerns: J. S. Tissainayagam requires surgery for a detached retina and he has been denied full access to the medical care he needs. He is being held in very poor prison conditions, which together with high levels of stress and exposure to light could seriously damage his sight. In early March 2009 it was reported that J. S. Tissainayagam has contracted tuberculosis and acute infected scabies while in detention, and is denied access to adequate medical treatment.
Threats in prison: The family of journalist V. Jasikaran say they received three phone calls between 25 and 26 of November 2008, by an unidentified caller who demanded a large ransom and threatened the journalist and his family with death. A complaint was filed at the police station, although no action has been taken.
[RAN 45/08 and updates]

Brief detention

*Nadesapillai VITHYATHARAN: Editor-in-chief of the Tamil-language dailies Sudar Oli and Uthayan, based in Colombo and Jaffna respectively. Arrested on 26 February 2009 under Emergency legislation without a warrant while attending a funeral in Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo. The authorities stated that the editor’s detention was linked to his reporting on an attack on Colombo by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 20 February 2009, and for having links to the LTTE, but no formal charges have been made known. On 24 March 2009 a grenade exploded in the headquarters of the building of the Uthayan newspaper, causing considerable damage. Some believe that this was an attempt to sabotage the newspaper’s articles regarding the victims of the conflicts with the LTTE. On 24 April 2009 Vithyatharan was released from prison as ordered by a Court in Colombo. It was reported that the Colombo Criminal Division (CCD) and other departments leading the investigation against Vithyatharan cleared the editor for lack of evidence, after spending two months checking his bank accounts and the phone calls he had made and received.
[RAN 14/09 – 4 March 2009 and updates].

Attacked

*Upali TENNAKOON: Editor of the weekly Rivera. Reportedly attacked on 23 January 2009 while on his way to work in his car with his wife. They were reportedly intercepted by four men at Imbulgoda, in the outskirts of Colombo. The attackers broke the windscreen and stabbed and hit the couple with metal bars. The couple were taken to hospital were they were treated for lacerations. There is reportedly an official investigation into the assault. Following the attack, Tennakoon was threatened, and soon after leaving hospital, the couple left Sri Lanka for the USA. Tennakoon worked for more than thirty years in journalism in Sri Lanka, and prior to this attack he had covered military operations against the Tamil Tigers from a critical point of view.

Threatened

*Renee MOHAMED (f): Features editor for the Sunday Leader newspaper, reportedly received two threatening phone calls on 30 January 2009. Mohamed is concerned for her safety, following the death of Lasantha Wickramatunga, the editor of her newspaper, on 8 January 2009 (see ‘killing’ above).

*E.SARAVANAPAVAN: Managing director of the Tamil-language newspaper Uthayan. Reportedly threatened with death, along with all the staff of the newspaper, in late June 2009 by a hitherto unknown group the ‘Tamil United Force to Safeguard the Country’. The newspaper and its staff have been given police protection. The newspaper is known for its criticism of pro-government Tamil parties, and has been previously targeted. The threats are believed to be linked to upcoming elections in Jaffna in August 2009.

*Santha WIJESUIRYA and Bennet RUPASINGHA: Reporter and editor for the website Lankaenews, respectively. Reportedly threatened on 6 March 2009 by a leader of the National Freedom Front, who phoned Wijesuirya regarding articles written and published on the website. Wijesuirya reported the case to the authorities.

THAILAND
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Imprisoned: investigation

*Chiranuch PREMCHAIPORN (f): Editor of the independent website Prachatai. Reportedly arrested on 6 March 2009, and charged with violations of the Computer Crimes Act, allegedly because the content of the website endangered national security. The website is said to publish issues that Thai newspapers will not publish. The charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. It is said that in the last few months there have been requests from the authorities, mainly the military, to remove from the website comments regarding the monarchy and the military. WiPC seeking an update.

Facing Charges

*Giles Ji UNGPAKORN: Professor of political science at Chulalingkom University and contributor to the New Statesman and the Asia Sentinel news website, was due to present himself at the police in Bangkok, on charges of ‘lèse-majesté’ (insulting the monarchy). Fearing he would not receive a fair trial, and could face a fifteen-year prison sentence, Ungpakorn left Thailand for the United Kingdom on 9 February 2009. The charges are reportedly linked to eight paragraphs of the book Ungpakorn wrote on the 2006 military coup, which allegedly insult King Bhumibol. Ungpakorn has published critical articles on the political role of the military.

Attacked

*Sondhi LIMTHONGKUL: Owner of the media outlet ASTV-Manager Daily and political leader of Thailand’s Yellow Shirt movement, an anti- Thaksin protest movement, was reportedly shot at in an ambush on 17 April 2009. Limthongkul was seriously injured, but survived the attack as did his companions. On 23 April 2009 it was reported that Limthongkul had been shot at with army bullets. The head of the Thai army stated that there would be an investigation to identify the attackers and bring them to justice.

Released

Harry NICOLAIDES: Australian writer. Arrested on 31 August 2008 at the Bangkok airport when he was about to board a plane to Australia. He was charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code with ‘lèsemajesté’ (insulting the monarchy), for a passage in Nicolaides’ novel Verisimilitude which is considered to be insulting to the Thai king’s eldest son. On 21 January 2009 Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in prison. On 19 February 2009 Harry Nicolaides was granted a Royal pardon, and returned to Australia.
[RAN 46/08 and updates]

VANUATU
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Attacked

*Marc NEIL-JONES: Publisher of the newspaper Vanuatu Daily Post, was reportedly attacked in the capital city Port Vila, on 17 January 2009, and suffered a broken nose and a black eye. He believes that the attack was linked to the publications’ coverage of ongoing conflicts in Vanuatu’s main prison. On 28 January 2009, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) reported that four police officers had been arrested for Neil-Jones’ attack. The men were identified by the journalist and witnesses of the assault.

VIETNAM
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Imprisoned: Main cases

DANG Phuc Tue (religious name: Thich Quang Do)
D.o.b.: 1928. Profession: Buddhist monk, writer, scholar. Secretary General of the outlawed Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma, United Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV).
Date of arrest: 9 October 2003.
Details of arrest: Part of a delegation of nine UBCV leaders who were all arrested on 9 October 2003 (see Thich Huyen Quang above). The delegation had left Binh Dinh at 5.00 a.m. on 8 October 2003 en route for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) when security services blocked their departure. After a protest in which over two hundred monks formed a human shield around their vehicle, the delegation was allowed to continue its journey, only to meet another police barricade on the following day, when all nine UBCV leaders were arrested and taken away for interrogation. Thich Quang Do was placed under house arrest.
Place of detention: Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: On 27 June 2003 he was released from a twenty-seven month detention order. Has spent most of the last twenty years in detention or under residential surveillance because of his campaign for religious freedom and free expression.
Other information: The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his imprisonment as ‘arbitrary’ in May 2005.

LE Thi Cong Nhan (f) and NGUYEN Van Dai:
Profession: Lawyer and cyber dissident, and journalist respectively.
Date of arrest: 6 March 2007. Sentence: 4 years and five years in prison respectively, reduced by one year each on appeal. Expires: March 2010 and March 2011 respectively.
Details of arrest: Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan (f) were arrested at their homes on the morning of the 6 March 2007. They were accused of ‘hostile propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ for their dissident activities with the prodemocracy movement ‘’Bloc 8406’’, including the recent signing of a petition under their real names.
Details of trial: Le Thi Cong Nhan and Nguyen Van Dai were sentenced to four years and five years in prison respectively by the Hanoi People’s Court on 11 May 2007. Their convictions were upheld on appeal on 27 November 2007.
Place of detention: Le Thi Cong Nhan was transferred on 3 January 2008 to Trai Giam detention camp #5, Cao Thinh village, Ngog Lac District, Thanh Hoa Province, south Vietnam. Nguyen Van Dai was transferred on 3 January 2008 to K1 Detention Camp, Ba Sao Village, Kim Bang District, Ha Nam Province, 80km south of Ha Noi.
Treatment in prison: Conditions are very harsh in both camps. Le Thi Cong Nhan’s new detention camp is 200km from her family in Hanoi. Both she and Van Dai are allowed one family visit a month, and can receive two 5kg packages of food, clothes and personal items. Banned from receiving books.
Health concerns: Nguyen Van Dai is reported to be suffering from Hepatitis B and to have to do forced labour. Le Thi Cong Nhan is reportedly suffering from hypotension and inflammation of the trachea.
Background to arrest and previous political problems: Nguyen Van Dai is one of the leaders of the democracy movement ‘’Bloc 8406’’ and regularly posts pro-democracy essays on foreign websites. He started a blog on the Reporters Sans Frontiers web-site platform shortly before his arrest (http://nguyenvandai.rsfblog.org). He and fellow lawyer Le Thi Cong Nhan (f) have been under heavy surveillance for some time for their dissident activities, and were briefly detained on 3 February 2007 and held for 48 hours. Nguyen Van Dai was reportedly subjected to criticism by a ‘popular court’ on 8 February 2007, in which 200 residents from a district of Hanoi were mobilised by the authorities to insult and denounce him for being a ‘traitor’.
Award: In July 2008 Le Thi Cong Nhan received the Human Rights Watch administered Hellmann/Hammett award in recognition of her journalism in the face of persecution.
Other information: Both were reportedly immediately struck off the Hanoi bar list following their arrests.
Honorary member of: Suisse-Romand PEN.
[RAN 12/07 and updates]

NGUYEN Hoang Hai (aka Dieu Cay):
Profession: Independent journalist and blogger. Date of arrest: 19 April 2008.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested for ‘tax fraud’ in Dalat city, south of the country, after he participated in protests against the police in Ho Chi Minh City, earlier in 2008. There are reports that he had been closely watched by the police and threatened with death prior to his arrest.
Sentence: Two and a half years in prison.
Expires: 18 October 2010
Details of trial: Sentenced on 10 September 2008 to two and a half years-imprisonment by the Vietnamese People’s Court at Ho Chi Minh city for alleged tax fraud, although he is widely believed to be targeted for his criticism of Vietnamese government policy. He is known for his internet postings calling for greater democracy and human rights in Vietnam and his participation in protests against Chinese foreign policy. Dieu Cay was one of the founding members of the Club of Free Journalists (Cau Lac Bo Nha Bao Tu Do) in 2006.
Place of detention: On 1 April 2009, Nguyen Hoang Hai’s family were told that he had been transferred to Cai Tau prison, in U Minh, which is nine hours from where the family lives and where it is difficult to obtain a visitor’s permit. There are reports that Cai Tau prison is notorious for the brutal treatment of prisoners and alleged corruption. The family believes that Nguyen Hoang Hai was transferred there to limit the frequency of their visits, and is very concerned for his well-being.
[RAN 47/08 and updates]

NGUYEN Van Hai: Date of arrest: 13 May 2008. Sentence: Handed down a two-year noncustodial sentence. Expires: 12 May 2010.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested on 13 May 2008 and accused of ‘misuse of power’. Arrested with fellow journalist and poet Nguyen Viet Chien, since freed (see ‘released’ below). Their detention was linked to their reports on highlevel corruption in the so-called “PMU-18” scandal in 2006. It is said that the scandal provoked the resignation of some senior officials, who were allegedly linked to stolen development funds which were used to gamble on European football, rather than to build roads and bridges.
Details of trial: On 15 October 2008 the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Nguyen Van Hai under Article 258 of the Vietnamese Penal Code, for ‘abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interest of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens’. Nguyen Van Hai was handed down a non-custodial two-year re-education sentence, after pleading guilty.

NGUYEN Van Ly:
D.o.b: 1946. Profession: Priest, scholar, essayist and co-editor of the underground online magazine Tu Do Ngôn luan (Free Speech).
Date of arrest: 19 February 2007. Sentence: eight years in prison and five years of probationary detention. Expires: February 2015.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested on 19 February 2007 during an “administrative check” at the archdiocesan building where he lives in the city of Hue. Two other editors of Tu Do Ngôn luan, Father Chan Tin and Father Phan Van Loi, were reportedly also placed under house arrest.
Details of trial: On 30 March 2007 a People’ Court in Hue (Central Vietnam) sentenced Father Nguyen Van Ly to eight years in prison and five years of probationary detention for ‘conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ (Article 88). A video footage of his sentencing is available on the Internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUSJeAakoXI.
Place of detention: Trai Giam Detention Camp, K1 Ba Sao, Kim Bang District, Municipality of Phu Ly, Ha Nam Province, Viet Nam.
Previous political imprisonment/problems: Ly is a leading member of the pro-democracy movement “Bloc 8406”. He was previously detained from 1977-1978, and again from 1983-1992 for his activism in support of freedom of expression and religion. He was sentenced again in October 2001 to 15 years in prison for his online publication of an essay on human rights violations in Vietnam, and was a main case of International PEN. The sentence was commuted several times and he was released under amnesty in February 2005.
Award: In July 2008 Nguyen Van Ly received for the seond time the Human Rights Watch administered Hellmann/Hammett award in recognition of his work in the face of persecution.
Honorary member of: Sydney PEN.
[RAN 12/07 and updates]

TRAN Quoc Hien
D.o.b: 1965. Profession: Internet writer and human rights lawyer.
Date of arrest: 12 January 2007. Sentence: Five years in prison, followed by two years probationary detention. Expires: January 2012.
Details of arrest: Reportedly arrested on 12 January 2007, the day after being nominated as the spokesperson for the Workers-Farmers Organisation (UWFO), an organisation which represents workers and farmers’ rights and which is not recognised by the government. He was charged with ‘spreading anti-government propaganda’ on the Internet and ‘endangering state security’.
Details of trial: He was found guilty of both charges by a court in Ho Chi Minh City on 15 May 2007, following a trial that reportedly only lasted four hours.
Place of detention: Detention Camp Bo La 1, Binh Duong Province, Viet Nam.
Professional details: Tran Quoc Hien is known for his critical writings published on the Internet, including a short story ‘The Tail’ about the experience of life under surveillance. He is a member of the pro-democracy movement ’Bloc 8406’. He is also a human rights lawyer, known for his work defending farmers whose land has been confiscated by local authorities. He had reportedly been under close surveillance for some time prior to his arrest.
[RAN 26/07 – 24 May 2007]

TRUONG Minh Duc:
Profession: Freelance journalist and political activist. Member of Bloc 8406 and the Vietnamese Populist party.
Date of arrest: 5 May 2007 Sentence: 5 years in prison Expires: 4 May 2012
Details of arrest: He was arrested on 5 May 2007 and remained under interrogation at B-34 Detention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, then transferred to Jain Facility in Klen-Giang.
Details of trial: Reportedly given a five-year prison sentence on 28 March 2008 for ‘taking advantage of democratic rights to act against the state’s interest’ and ‘receiving money from abroad to support complaints against the state’, under Article 258 on the Criminal Code. The sentence was handed down by a court Vinh Thuan, in the southern province of Kien Giang. Duc is known for his articles on corruption and abuse of power since 1994 for various newspapers, under different pseudonyms. Among the pieces he wrote, and which are said to have incriminated him are the following articles: ‘To Point at Corruption’s Mandarins in Kien Gian Province’; ‘Court of Tyrannous, Influential and Powerful Notables; and ‘Province Chairman, Inspectors in collusion with Judiciary System’.
Health concerns: His family reported that in January 2008 he broke his arm, and because of poor medical treatment has since been in poor health.

Imprisoned: Investigation

*LE Cong Dinh: Lawyer and dissident writer, was reportedly arrested by the security police in Saigon on 13 June 2009, and was charged with ‘spreading propaganda against the state’ under Article 88 of the Penal Code. His home and his office were searched and his documents seized. Official reports state that Le Cong Dinh was arrested for allegedly reporting ‘distorted’ facts to foreign media and offending the country’s Prime Minister. If found guilty, Le Cong Dinh could face up to twenty years’ imprisonment. Le Cong Dinh has been working as a lawyer defending journalists, human rights activists and internet writers prosecuted in Vietnam for their reporting, including lawyers and dissident writers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, and the renowned blogger Dieu Cay (see above). Le Cong Dinh has also written for various international media outlets, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), and banned oveseas Vietnamese websites such as the “Vietnam Democracy Movement”, “Vietnam Reform”, “New Horizon”, “Thorough Discussion”, and “Democratic Freedom”, which Vietnamese authorities view as “subversive”. According to Reporters Without Borders, sources said that Le Cong Dinh’s arrest might be related to a libel case brought by several lawyers against the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Reportedly denied access to family visits since his arrest.
[RAN 25/09 – 16 June 2009]

LE Thi Kim Thu (f): Online reporter and photographer, arrested on 14 August 2008, detained at Hoa Lo detention camp outside Hanoi; known for her reports for various overseas Vietnamese media outlets. Remains detained as of end June 2009.
[RAN 47/08 - 23 September 2008, update 1 – 9 April 2009]

NGÔ Quynh: student and dissident writer, author of online dissenting articles, including ‘Viet Nam needs to compile a new History-book’ and ‘Journey to Lang Son’s Dairy’, published on overseas websites. Arrested on 10 September 2008 and detained at the B14 labour camp, in Ha Dong province, south of Hanoi. Remains detained as of end June 2009.
[RAN 47/08 - 23 September 2008, update 1 – 9 April 2009).

NGUYEN Van Tuc: farmer, poet and human rights defender, known for his numerous writings on social injustice and satirical poems published on overseas websites. Arrested on 10 September 2008 and detained at the B14 labour camp, in Ha Dong province, south of Hanoi. Remains detained as of end June 2009.
[RAN 47/08 - 23 September 2008, update 1 – 9 April 2009]

NGUYEN Xuan Nghia: poet and writer, member of the Hai Phong Association of writers and founding member of the banned democracy movement known as Block 8406, author of several online poems and articles, a recipient of the 2008 Hellman Hammet Award for Free Expression. Arrested on 11 September 2008. Held at the B14 labour camp in Ha Dong province, south of Hanoi. Remains detained as of end June 2009. (RAN 47/08 - 23 September 2008, update 1 – 9 April 2009)

PHAM Thanh Nghien (f): Internet writer and independent journalist. Arrested on 11 September 2008, released later that day but remained under residential surveillance until her re-arrest on 17 September 2008. Thought to be held under Article 88 of the Criminal Code on charges of ‘propaganda against the state’. In early April 2009 it was reported that Pham Thanh Nghien’s family has not been able to visit her since her arrest, and they have no information on her health.
[RAN 47/08 and updates]

PHAM Van Troi: dissident writer and activist, known for his contributions to the underground dissident review Tu Do Dan Chu (Freedom and Democracy). Arrested on 10 September 2008 and detained at the B14 labour camp, in Ha Dong province, south of Hanoi. Remains detained as of end June 2009.
[RAN 47/08 - 23 September 2008, update 1 – 9 April 2009]

*TRAN Duc Thach:
D.o.b.: 1952. Poet and Internet writer, member of the Association of Writers of Nghe An province. Briefly arrested on 10 September 2008, released the same day but re-arrested on 12 September 2008. His whereabouts were unknown until 2 April 2009 when it was reported that Trân Duc Thach was held at detention camp no.3, Ha Dông district, about 11km west of Hanoi. Thought to be held on the charge of ‘propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam” according to Article 88 of Viet Nam’s Penal Code. His health has reportedly been very poor after a hunger strike in detention. Still detained as of 30 June 2009.

VU Van Hung:
Profession: Professor and internet writer. Date of arrest: 18 September 2008.
Details of arrest: Arrested on 18 September 2008 and his home was searched by Security Police officers. At the time, his family was told he would be charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for ‘Conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’, but no charges have yet been made known.
Place of detention: Camp B14, district Thanh Liet Thanh Tri, Ha Noi.
Treatment in prison: On 23 January 2009 Vu Van Hung’s wife met with newly amnestied prisoners, released on the Lunar New Year. They had recently shared Vu Van Hung’s prison cell and reported serious concerns for his health and well-being following a month-long hunger strike recently staged by Vu Van Hung to protest alleged ill-treatment by other inmates and by interrogators. He has reportedly been hospitalised several times in a matter of weeks, and has now been taken from his prison cell to an undisclosed location, apparently as a result of his failing health. His whereabouts remain unknown and concerns for his well-fare are mounting.
[RAN 12/09 – 18 February 2009]

Released

HO Thi Bich Khuong (f): Internet writer, poet, human rights defender and member of the pro-democracy group Bloc 8406. Arrested on 25 April 2007 and sentenced to 2 years in prison for publishing on overseas websites reports of social injustice and human rights violations. Released on expiry of sentence on 26 April 2009.

NGUYEN Viet Chien: Poet and reporter for the Vietnamese language newspaper Thanh Nien. Reportedly arrested with fellow journalist Nguyen Van Hai (see ‘main case’ above) on 13 May 2008 and accused of ‘misuse of power’ for his reports on high-level corruption. On 15 October 2008 the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Nguyen Viet Chien to two years in prison for ‘abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interest of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens’. Nguyen Viet Chien was freed in January 2009 as part of an amnesty.


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