China jails leading rights activist for four years

  "The harsh sentence for a moderate critic who reflected widespread public concern about corruption shows just how little tolerance there is toward dissent in China today," said Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch. "Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption the linchpin of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGannett News Service
Main Author MacLeod, Calum
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published McLean USA Today, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc 26.01.2014
Subjects
Locke, Gary
MacLeod, Calum
Zhiyong, Xu
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Summary:  "The harsh sentence for a moderate critic who reflected widespread public concern about corruption shows just how little tolerance there is toward dissent in China today," said Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch. "Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption the linchpin of his presidency, but when an average citizen takes up the same cause, he is sent to prison. This hypocrisy makes a mockery of the president's anti-corruption campaign." Online, despite censors' efforts, several Chinese rights lawyers posted their despair at China's continued lack of rule of law. "Shameless judgement. Have the judges read all the evidence material?" asked Beiijng lawyer Lin Qilei on Sina Weibo, a Twitter equivalent. "It's not a professional 'performance'," wrote Lin, reflecting critics' beliefs that the trial comprised political theater to dress up the Party's decision to punish [Xu Zhiyong]. [Gary Locke] last week criticized China for putting Xu on trial. Locke expressed deep concern that the trial of Xu and "prosecution of other good-governance advocates are retribution for their public campaigns to expose official corruption and for the peaceful expression of their views," he said. "These prosecutions are the latest in a series of arrests of public interest lawyers, Internet activist journalists, religious leaders, and others who peacefully challenge official policies and actions in China."