Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

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 Promoting human rights and empowering grassroots activism in China

Veteran Democracy Activist Sent back to Prison

A rare public trial failed to adhere to fair trial principle

(Chinese Human Rights Defenders, July 12, 2007) – Democracy activists Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫), male, 54, was tried on charge of “beating police, hindering public duty” and sentenced to two-years in prison by the Shangcheng District court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 10, 2007.  Mr. Zhu’s son, Zhu Ang, was sentenced on the same charge for one year in jail with an 18-month delay of serving the term.

Zhu Yufu’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, made no-guilt defense in court, asking the court to drop the criminal charges.  About 40 friends and supporters attended the trial. 

“The trial was unfair. The judges quickly read the files and announced the verdict. They did not listen to the lawyer’s defense. Several times, when Zhu Yufu tried to defend himself and his son, he was interrupted by the judges despite our protests,” said one supporter who attended the trial.        

Mr. Zhu and his son were arrested on May 18, 2007. On April 18, policemen stopped them outside their apartment when they were coming home, questioning them, without showing any legal authorization.  Police questioned them about the whereabouts of another activist, whom police suspected of staying in Mr. Zhu’s apartment.  Zhu Ang remained silent, while Mr. Zhu tried to contact the other activist by cell phone.  Policemen began wrestling Zhu Ang down on the ground, twisting his arms behind.  He struggled to get up and his head hit one police, knocking out the policeman’s tooth.  He was then struck in the head.  Seeing his son bleeding in the head, Mr. Zhu, the father, pushed one policeman away from the son.  The incident was captured by a surveillance camera installed in the housing compound. The video type was presented in court as “criminal evidence.”  But the video, which was played in the courtroom, did not show Mr. Zhu beating the policemen.

Chinese Human Rights Defenders believe that the trial, despite its being conducted publicly, quite rare of this kind of trials, was unfair.  The two-year prison term for Zhu Yufu was harsh.  The verdict is an act of political persecution for Mr. Zhu’s political belief and his human rights activities, for the court apparently adopted the prosecutor’s reference to Mr. Zhu’s past imprisonment as a political prisoner as evidence of “repeated criminal offenses” in deciding the sentencing.

Mr. Zhu is a veteran Democracy Wall activist of the 1970s, who served seven years in Hangzhou jail for participating in Democracy Party organizing in the 1990s.  He was released in September 2006 and has since actively participated in human rights activities.

More information, in Chinese:

For a short profile of Zhu Yufu, see /Article/Class18/Class40/200603/20060302002706_251.html

For more background on this case, visit CHRD “Individual Cases” file: /Article/Class18/Class40/Index.html

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Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) is a non-political, non-government network of grassroots and international activists promoting human rights protection and empowering grassroots activism in China.  CHRD’s objective is to build NGO capacities, monitor rights development, and assist victims of abuse.   CHRD advocates non-violent and rule of law approaches.  CHRD conducts investigation and research, provides information, organizes training, supports a program of small grants, and offers legal assistance.