Internet journalist tried on subversion charges
New York, June 21, 2005—Freelance Internet journalist and dissident Zhang Lin pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting subversion of state authority at his trial today at the Intermediate People’s Court of Bengbu in central China’s Anhui Province. Today’s trial concluded within five hours, defense lawyer Mo Shaoping told the Committee to Protect Journalists. The…
Stand up for journalists’ rights, Hong Kong
Despite protests by the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association and others, the city’s leaders have deferred to mainland law in the detention of veteran journalist and permanent Hong Kong resident Ching Cheong. This is a mistake. The freedom of the press, guaranteed by the Basic Law, is meaningless unless the local government defends the right of journalists to report news from the mainland.
New accusation extends jail time without trial forNew York Times researcher
New York, June 1, 2005 Police have leveled a new accusation at imprisoned New York Times researcher Zhao Yan, which permits Chinese authorities to continue holding him for an additional unspecified period of months. Zhao, who was formally arrested in October 2004 under suspicion of leaking state secrets, is now accused of fraud, police…
CHINA
MAY 31, 2005 Posted: June 7, 2005 Ching Cheong, Straits Times IMPRISONED The Chinese Foreign Ministry revealed that it had detained senior Hong Kong-based journalist on suspicion of espionage. In a statement released to reporters and published in international news reports, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that it had been holding Ching since April 22…
China detains senior Hong Kong journalist
New York, May 31, 2005 The Chinese Foreign Ministry revealed today that it has detained senior Hong Kong-based journalist Ching Cheong on suspicion of espionage. In a statement released to reporters and published in international news reports, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that it has been holding Ching since April 22 and that the journalist…
Imprisoned journalist Jiang Weiping in ill health
New York, May 17, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by the recent deterioration in the health care and prison conditions provided to Jiang Weiping, an investigative journalist now serving his fifth year in jail. Prison authorities have barred Jiang from making phone calls during recent months and have denied him permission to read…
CPJ seeks reversal of journalist’s ‘state secret’ conviction
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harsh 10-year prison sentence handed to journalist Shi Tao on charges of “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners” after an unfair trial last week. Shi plans to submit an appeal in advance of a May 10 deadline. We call on authorities to drop the state secrets charge against him, which your government has used with disturbing frequency to imprison journalists, and to ensure Shi’s immediate and unconditional release.