Text of report by Hong Kong Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy on 1 September

This centre has learned that the Changsha City Intermediate People's Court in Hunan awarded engineer Xie Changfa a prison sentence on charges of "subversion of state power" this morning [ 1 September]. He was arrested on 25 June 2008 for some articles that were critical of the "jerry-built projects in Sichuan." His was the fourth case of someone being tried and sentenced for criticizing jerry-built projects, after Huang Qi, Guo Quan, and Tan Zuoren, who were tried for criticizing jerry-built projects from 5 August onward.

Xie Changfa's lawyer Ma Gangquan confirmed to us that Xie Changfa had been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Ma indicated that Xie would appeal. The 57-year-old Xie Changfa was a leader of the "Workers Autonomous Federation" during the "4 June" incident in 1989 and was consequently sentenced to three years of reeducation-through-labour. He was arrested last year for publishing articles that criticized the jerry-built projects and for taking part in the activities of the "Democratic Party of China." He was tried on 28 April this year and was sentenced today.

On 5 August, the Wuhou District Court in Chengdu City tried Huang Qi, a human rights champion who had investigated jerry-built projects, on charges of "illegal possession of secrets." On 7 August, the Suqian City Intermediate Court in Jiangsu Province tried scholar Guo Quan who had criticized jerry-built projects. On 12 August, the Chengdu Intermediate Court tried Tan Zuoren, a human rights champion who had investigated jerry-built projects, on charges of "inciting subversion." We estimate that these three individuals may be sentenced later this month: Huang Qi and Tan Zuoren may be sentenced to about three years in prison and Guo Quan may receive a heavy penalty of at least 10 years in prison.

Source: Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Hong Kong, in Chinese 1 Sep 09