Human Rights Defender Huang Qi Formally Arrested

(Chinese Human Rights Defenders, July 18, 2008) – Huang Qi (黄琦), director of Tianwang Human Rights Center (www.64tianwang.com) detained since June 10, has been formally arrested for "illegal possession of state secrets".

Huang's family received the formal arrest warrant today when they went to enquire about Huang's situation at Chengdu Public Security Bureau (PSB) Wuhou Sub-division. When asked why Huang has not yet been released after the legal limit of 37 days, the police immediately issued the warrant in the presence of his family.

Huang is currently held at Chengdu City Detention Center. Huang is still denied access to legal counsel and police did not notify his lawyers of his formal arrest.

Huang is from Chengdu City in Sichuan Province. In 1998, Huang established the first website in China that disseminated news about people who had been trafficked and disappeared. The website evolved to report on issues of injustice and complaints against the government (www.64tianwang.com). On February 22, 2003, Huang was convicted of "inciting subversion of state power" and sentenced to five years in prison and one year of political rights deprivation. After his early release on June 4, 2005, he continued his human rights work.

However, Huang disappeared on June 10, 2008. It was later discovered that he had been detained by the police. Huang is believed to be detained for reporting and giving interviews to foreign journalists about protests staged by families of schoolchildren who died in the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. A few days before his detention, Huang met with some of the families who wanted to file lawsuits against officials allegedly responsible for the shoddy school buildings that killed the children.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Defender Huang Qi Disappear, Feared Detained by Police (June 12, 2008)

Huang Qi, male, human rights activist (August 8, 2006)