26 of January of 2022
International Aministy
Read the original article: https://www.es.amnesty.org/en-que-estamos/noticias/noticia/articulo/china-jjoo/
Illustration of the five cases that lead the repression in China.
© Amnesty International / Adrien Stanziani.
A journalist who reported on the beginning of the pandemic in Wuhan. A Tibetan monk who expressed political opinions on its website. A human rights defender who denounced cases of torture. An academic who proposed measures to end the discrimination of his ethnic group. And a missing lawyer for three years. The next 4 February will begin the Olympic Games in China and Amnesty International has launched a campaign to free these three men and two women imprisoned through the initiative “Beijing 2022 Freedom of expression is passed by rings”.
Thus, In fourteen cities in Spain, Among them Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, León or Vitoria, Groups of amnesty international activists will organize as of today various acts of complaint in public spaces. In them, They will take place Skiller of Ceremonies of Inauguration and Delivery of Medals visually showing these five cases of the repression that is lived in the country that hosts this sporting event.
From the organization we want to point out that in the year 2008 The Chinese government promised that the Summer Games of that year would be accompanied by advances in human rights. But this was not just like that, but in fact the situation has continued to get worse since then, And especially since Xi Jinping came to the presidency in 2013.
“With these games, Chinese authorities seek to strengthen their condition of superpower and divert attention to the lousy situation of human rights in the country, trying to wash your international image. But Not even the Olympic rings can cover the tragic history of repression in this country”, Esteban Beltrán defended, Director of Amnesty International in Spain.
“Beijing Winter Olympic Games promise to be a memorable sports show, But his world audience cannot deliberately ignore what happens in other parts of China: There are lawyers and activists imprisoned for their peaceful work; Survivors of sexual aggressions to those who are punished for denouncing; It is estimated that thousands of people are executed every year; Muslim ethnic groups are systematically submitted to mass internment, torture and persecution ", has declared Alkan Akad, Researcher at China at Amnesty International.
Amnesty International does not ask the federations or the athletes to boycott these games Not any other sports competition, But it claims that the international community takes this opportunity to remind the Chinese government of the obligation to respect human rights, in particular that of freedom of expression.
The role of the IOC and the protection of athletes
The Chinese government offered a series of guarantees in human rights before housing the winter Olympic Games, ensuring that I would respect the freedom of the media and labor rights, would address the issue of “displacements” and would guarantee that there would be true opportunities to celebrate peaceful manifestations during the event. Amnesty International asks the International Olympic Committee (COI) to ensure that these guarantees are fulfilled and publicly announce their human rights policies and practices before and during the games.
The organization's concern has increased after the recent statements from a high position of the International Relations Department of Beijing 2022, Yang Shu, who warned that competitions in competitions will be punished "if their behavior or speech is against the Olympic spirit and Chinese laws", According to various media.
In addition, The Spanish section of Amnesty asks the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) that not only protects the right of athletes who want to express their commitment to human rights, but also take the initiative and report to the entire national delegation of what the situation of those human rights in China is.
This deprotection of athletes in the face of the exercise of freedom of expression was evidenced in the case of la tenista Peng Shuai, Three times Olympic, who at the end of last year denounced a former vice -first Chinese minister for sexual abuse In a publication publication that was quickly censored in China. When all reference to it was eliminated from the Internet and disappeared from public life, other tennis players and the Women's Tennis Association expressed their fears about their fate. Almost three weeks after its publication was censored, The COI's response was to organize a video call with PENG to try to dissipate concern about his well -being and whereabouts.
“The IOC accepted the guarantees that Peng Shuai was well without verifying if he suffered any limitation of his freedom of expression, circulation and right to privacy, with it, with this, the danger of covering out possible human rights violations of the tennis player ”, in señalad Akaad.
Los 5 cases that “lead” Censorship in China
In recent years the Chinese government has proven to be a “true champion” to suppress any voice contrary to your policies, whether they are journalists, jurists, people from the academic world or belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. For it, Carry out a large -scale control and censorship system, using advanced surveillance techniques as well as blocking contained in thousands of websites and social networks. The approval in Honk Kong of an ambiguous “National Security Law” and the aforementioned disappearance for days of tennis player Peng Shuai after her complaints of sexual aggression suppose the latest examples of this new twist in her repression mechanisms.
Given this, During the celebration of the games, Amnesty International will ask in a particular way The release of five people who consider “flags” of this censorship, belonging to communities that have suffered especially the lack of freedom of expression, and that they have been imprisoned or disappeared simply for expressing themselves peacefully.
Zhang Zhan: lawyer who acted as Citizen journalist informing about the situation of COVID-19 in Wuhan. It was sentenced to four years in prison, Your life is at risk, Because your health condition continues to deteriorate at a dramatic rhythm. Admitted at the hospital last July in a state of advanced malnutrition, Its weight is currently less than 40 kilos. Nevertheless, Zhang remains determined to continue his partial hunger strike as a way to maintain his innocence and as a protest for his sentence. Zhan is at risk of continuing to suffer torture and other ill -treatment by Chinese authorities, especially if he continues with the hunger strike.
ILHAM TOHTİ: Uigur minority academic, He was sentenced to life imprisonment for writing about constructive criteria to overcome unequal treatment between ethnic groups in China. Economics professor at the University, fundador del sitio web "Uighur Online" and a well -known critic of the ethnic and religious policies of China, ILHAM TOHTİ, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014. Remained incommunicado for more than five months. His legal defense and his wife have reported that Ilham He has been forced to bring shackles on his feet, The food has been denied during 10 days and feel a pain in the right abdomen. Ilhman has not been done a medical examination and is not receiving any treatment. Ilham Tohti's wife, Guzelnur, is constantly under surveillance and, at certain times, He has not been allowed to leave home.
Rinchen Tsultrim: Tibetan monk probably condemned for expressing their political opinions About your Wechat account and your personal website. In March of 2020 was sentenced to four years and six months in prison Without a fair trial. His family learned of the sentence a year later when they were officially informed that he was held in an anonymous prison in Chengdu, Proviction of Sichuan. To date, no other information has been shared about your status or on the positions for which it was sentenced. No access to your family and legal representation, There is a great concern for the state and welfare of Rinchen.
Li Qiaochu: Human Right Defender arrested for publishing on torture and ill -treatment Inside the Linshu County Detention Center. The prominent defender, particularly women's law, It was stopped by the police for the past 6 February 2021, Shortly before the New Year Lunar. According to a detention notice, I could be facing charges related to subversion. It is suspected that LI detention is related to its efforts to public. Detained in an incommunication regime for a month, There is concern that Li is in danger of torture or other ill -treatment, since you do not have access to your family or to legal assistance of your choice.
Gao Zhisheng: Human Rights Defensor Lawyer disappeared since August of 2017. Gao is subject to forced disappearance and can run a high risk of torture and death. No information about his whereabouts is known since he was taken from his house in the city of Yulin, northwest China. Gao has shared his experience of suffering repeated torture When being in custody of the Chinese authorities as a result of their rights defense work. For this reason there is a high concern that Gao is being tortured, receiving mistreatment or there is even a risk of death.
More information
Locations where amnesty international activists will carry out street shares: Barcelona, Calahorra, Gijón, Guadalajara, Huelva, The Ribera, León, Madrid, Murcia, Palencia, Sabadell, Terrace, Valencia and Vitoria.
