Freelance writer Yang Tianshui has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in China on subversion charges, in one of the country’s most severe media crackdowns since the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989.
Yang was convicted after being accused of posting articles on foreign websites, receiving money from abroad and helping a would-be opposition party, according to his lawyer, Li Jianqiang.
”We think Yang is innocent and should be released immediately,” Li said.
His imprisonment has sparked fears that the President Hu Jintao’s government is attempting to stamp out content deemed politically or morally dangerous from newspapers, websites and other media.
”Fearing that news of land disputes and other civil discontent could fuel a united threat to its authority, the Communist party government has undertaken one of the biggest media crackdowns since the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations,” the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report issued on Tuesday.
And New York Times‘ researcher Zhao Yan has been indicted by China on accusations of fraud and disclosing state secrets for a second time.
The reintroduction of charges against Zhao (44) who worked in the New York Times‘ Beijing bureau, means that legal proceedings against him have just restarted, even though he has spent almost 21 months in prison without a hearing or an appearance before a judge. His defence lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said that under Chinese law a trial needs to be held within six weeks, though prosecutors can seek at least two postponements.
The researcher has denied the charges but faces at least 10 years in prison if convicted. His case has been marked by delays and legal irregularities.
”We’re deeply, deeply disappointed,” said Bill Keller, the executive editor of the New York Times.
”We’ve never seen any proof that Zhao Yan was guilty of anything but journalism. Over the past year, we’ve been writing about Chinese efforts to modernise their legal system, and a case like this certainly casts doubt on their progress.” In March a Beijing court withdrew the charges against Zhao and at the time Mo predicted Zhao would be released. But instead, he has remained in prison.
Human rights groups have repeatedly called for the researcher’s release. The US has lobbied China for months, and United States President George Bush has made personal appeals to Jintao.
There are believed to be at least 42 journalists behind bars in China, many charged with violating vague security or subversion laws.
China’s economic success has convinced its leaders they can ”basically behave like they want,” said Jean Philippe Beja, research director at the Paris-based Centre for International Studies and Research. – Guardian Unlimited Â