The mother of jailed Chinese journalist Shi Tao wept and punched the air on Monday as she accepted a press-freedom award on her son’s behalf from world media bosses in Cape Town.
“He has only done what any courageous journalist should do,” Gao Qinsheng told an annual gathering of the World Association of Newspapers (Wan).
Wiping away tears to receive the Golden Pen of Freedom trophy from World Editors’ Forum (WEF) president George Brock, Gao said the award was a huge comfort to her 38-year-old son.
“It proves Shi Tao is indeed innocent, he is not a criminal. That is why he has the sympathy of his colleagues all over the world.”
Brock told the opening ceremony of the Wan’s annual gathering that Shi was jailed for revealing that the Chinese government had issued restrictions on media coverage of the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre of anti-government protesters.
He was convicted of leaking state secrets and imprisoned for 10 years in 2005.
“The Chinese government lists a wide range of innocuous or potentially embarrassing information as state secrets,” Brock said.
“He knew the risk he was taking by publishing. Yet he nevertheless made a courageous decision to disseminate the information. Mr Shi serves as an inspiration to all of us.”
Brock said the official Chinese newspaper association had demanded the award be withdrawn, arguing Shi had been tried in a court of law and sentenced accordingly.
It had also contended that the Chinese Constitution protected press freedom.
“We are not impressed by this argument,” Brock said. “Such freedoms do not exist in China today. If they did, Shi Tao would not be in prison, nor would dozens of others.”
He also referred to the “personal risk” Shi’s mother had taken to travel to South Africa to receive the award.
Brock said the Wan and WEF would start a public campaign pressing for Shi’s release. — AFP