Xu Zhiyong is in prison for writing an article titled “China needs a New Citizens Movement””
2014.elmercuriodigital.es ▫ The Chinese activist Xu Zhiyong faced the first day of his trial for disorderly conduct this Wednesday and both he and his lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, They have remained silent during a process that they have described as unfair.
"Nuestro silencio no significa que no expresaremos nuestros puntos de vista. Significa que este tribunal no merece que los expresemos", Zhang stated. The lawyer has assured that Xu has not defended himself during the process, in camera, porque no creen que "el tribunal garantice un juicio justo".
"Las autoridades chinas deben poner inmediatamente en libertad al destacado activista Xu Zhiyong", Amnesty International has claimed.
Xu Zhiyong wrote in May 2012 an article titled “China needs a New Citizens Movement”, considered the trigger for the creation of an informal network of activists whose purpose is to promote government transparency and uncover corruption.
Several other activists will also be tried this week in connection with the New Citizens Movement.
“Instead of the strong measures to combat corruption that President Xi Jinping promised, We are seeing a campaign of repression against those who try to expose it. The persecution of activists associated with the New Citizens Movement must end”, said Roseann Rife, Amnesty International East Asia Research Director.
Renowned jurist Xu Zhiyong has been detained in Beijing since July. He is accused of “gathering a crowd to disturb order in a public place”. If found guilty, faces up to five years in prison.
“We consider that Xu Zhiyong is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally.”. Otherwise, The Chinese government's ongoing anti-corruption efforts would be a travesty.", Rife said.
in 2013 Dozens of people associated with the New Citizens Movement were arrested, no matter how minimal your relationship with him was. Several of these activists have already been prosecuted simply for having exercised their right to expression and assembly..
In a preliminary hearing held last Friday, The judge rejected a request made by Xu Zhiyong's lawyer for his client to be tried alongside other people collectively accused of activities related to the New Citizens Movement. Xu Zhiyong has stated that he will remain silent before the court in protest against its decision.
Five more activists are to be tried in Beijing this week. The trial against Zhao Changqing and Hou Xin will take place on Thursday. The trial of Ding Jiaxi and Li Wei and that of Yuan Dong and Zhang Baocheng are scheduled to begin on Friday.
“By denying the holding of a collective trial, The judge prevents the whole truth from being known. It is but one more example of the injustice these activists face.”, Rife stated.
Three other activists –Liu Ping, Wei Zhongping and Li Sihua– They were tried in December 2013 in Jiangxi province, in southern China. The trial of veteran activist Zhang Lin was held on 18 December. The sentences in their cases have not yet been pronounced.
According to the organization Chinese Human Rights Defenders, more of 65 People allegedly linked to the New Citizens Movement have been detained on criminal charges or subjected to enforced disappearance since early December, and 37 have been formally detained.
Xu Zhiyong describes the “New Citizens Movement”” as a cultural campaign, peaceful social and political.
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| Adam Sidman's photo |
The activities suggested for the “New Citizens” include: practice “New Citizen Responsibility”” rejecting corruption and doing good for society; participate in civic life by holding meetings to discuss the political situation; help the weak, and come together to share and coordinate work.
"Él (Xu) I wanted to express freedom, justice and love in his speech, but since the court did not allow him to use that content and the judge finally interrupted him, decidió no decirlo", Lawyer Zhang explained.
In addition, The lawyer has indicated that both he and his client were frustrated that the court has only allowed two witnesses to testify.. "Cinco de los testigos a los que pedimos que testificaran en el juicio están bajo custodia policial y (the authorities) han impedido que se desplacen con libertad", Zhang assured. "Uno de ellos ha sido trasladado a un motel", He added.
The Chinese Government has led a strong offensive for more than ten months against the New Citizens Movement, of which Xu is the founder and which aims to change the political system of the Asian giant. One of the measures that has been carried out has been to ask the authorities through the Internet to make their assets public..
Several followers of Xu have gathered in the vicinity of the court., chanting slogans and carrying banners in support. The Police have tried to disperse the concentration and at least three of the protesters have been transferred to a police van.
Several diplomats have tried to attend the trial, although they have not obtained permission to enter the court. Given the international concern, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang, ha asegurado que Xu iba a ser juzgado "acorde a la ley" for his alleged crimes.
Xu se enfrenta a la acusación de "congregar a una multitud para alterar el orden en un lugar público", a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Zhang ha señalado que la Fiscalía ha pedido un "severo castigo" against the dissident.
Chinese authorities have detained about 20 activists involved in campaign to pressure Chinese Communist Party members (CCP) to reveal their assets, although not everyone is part of the Xu Movement.
The trials against six of them will be held next Thursday and Friday in Beijing and Guangzhou., in the south of the country. Three others were tried last December and face up to ten years in prison if convicted..
This is the highest-level dissident trial since 2009, when Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo was tried and sentenced for subversion to eleven years in prison.
A través de sus comentarios en la famosa red de 'microblogging' Twitter, Xu has criticized the Government's efforts to end corruption and has assured that the solution lies in democracy and the rule of law..
"Cuando más del 90 percent of members (of the Government) they are corrupt, ¿who counters who? El movimiento social de la divulgación de sus activos es un esfuerzo para un cambio gradual del sistema", Xu wrote..
A writer and close friend of the dissident, Chen Min, ha asegurado que el Ejecutivo chino está "nervioso" for the information published by Xu. "El PCCh no acepta presiones, does not accept challenges. Anything the party can't control (…) tiene que combatirlo", He added.
Xu has also campaigned in defense of the rights of minors from rural areas., where they have not been issued the residence permits necessary to receive education in the cities, to whom their parents have moved in search of jobs.
