| [ 时间:2012-02-12 21:32:33 | 作者:frontlinedefenders.org | 来源:六四天网转载 ] |
On 10 February 2012 Hangzhou City Intermediate People's Court sentenced human rights defender Mr Zhu Yufu to seven years in prison and a further three years deprivation of political rights for 'inciting subversion of state power'.
Zhu Yufu is a long term pro-democracy campaigner and human rights activist.
The verdict, which was announced today, followed a two and a half hour trial on 31 January 2012. Zhu Yufu pleaded innocent to the charges against him. While Zhu Yufu's wife and son were permitted to attend the trial, it is reported that a number of fellow human rights defenders were kept under house arrest on the day to prevent them from gathering to show their support.
The charges of 'inciting subversion of state power' against Zhu Yufu reportedly relate to a poem he wrote as well as other online writings, interviews he gave to foreign media and donations he collected on behalf of families of people jailed for their pro-democracy and human rights activities.
The poem in question, 'It's Time', contains a line calling on 'the people of China' to use their 'own feet to go to the square and make a choice”. Following the publication of the poem online, Zhu Yufu was detained on 5 March 2011 amidst a widespread crackdown on human rights defenders in the wake of anonymous online calls for a Middle-Eastern style 'Jasmine Revolution' to take place in China. He was formally arrested on 11 April 2011.
Zhu Yufu has been subjected to imprisonment in the past due to his human rights and pro-democracy work. In 1999 he was sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement with the China Democratic Party. He was sentenced to a further two years in jail in 2007 for 'obstructing official business' following an altercation with a policeman.
Zhu Yufu is the fourth human rights defender to be given a lengthy jail term in the past two months in China. In December Chen Wei and Chen Xi were jailed for nine and ten years respectively for 'inciting subversion of state power' while on 18 January Li Tie was sentenced to ten years for 'subversion of state power'.
Front Line Defenders believes that the charges against Zhu Yufu and the sentence handed down to him are directly related to his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights.
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