Zheng Enchong - China

Lawyer and human rights defender Zheng Enchong was released from a three-year prison sentence on 5 June 2006. He expressed thanks to Amnesty International for the organisation's support and efforts in calling for his release. However, since he was freed, he and his family have been harassed and intimidated by the authorities, and Zheng Enchong has been detained four times. Amnesty International fears he and his family are at risk of further abuse.

Zheng Enchong was released from Tilanqiao Prison in Shanghai on 5 June 2006 on completion of his three-year sentence. However, his political rights are still suspended by a further year. This means that he is forbidden from meeting any foreign people, talking to the media, attending any protests or participating in any political activities, or from taking a leading position in any state enterprise.

The police have also banned him from leaving his residential district since his release. This violation of his right to freedom of movement will prevent Zheng Enchong from taking his daughter to school, and worshipping at his local church (Zheng is a devout Christian), and there is concern that the ban will also prevent him from finding work.

Zheng was arrested on 6 June 2003 and accused of stealing 'statesecrets' and passing them to 'entities outside China'. Amnesty International considered Zheng Enchong to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his legitimate work as a lawyer. Previously, Zheng Enchong had his licence to practice law revoked in 2001 after he advised more than 500 families displaced by Shanghai's urban redevelopment projects on their rights to fair compensation from the authorities. He continued to give advice although his applications for reinstatement of his licence failed.

Background

Lawyer Zheng Enchong, 55, had his licence to practice revoked in 2001 after he advised more than 500 families displaced by Shanghai's urban redevelopment projects on their rights to fair compensation. On 6 June 2003, Zheng Enchong was arrested and accused of stealing 'state secrets' and passing them to 'entities outside of China'. Amnesty campaigned to the Chinese authorities calling on them to release Zheng Enchong.

'State secrets' are only vaguely defined in Chinese law: whether something constitutes a 'state secret' is often an arbitrary and politically motivated decision. In this case, the accusation of 'state secrets' referred to information Zheng Enchong sent to Human Rights in China (HRIC), a non-governmental organisation based in Hong Kong and New York, about a labour protest in Shanghai.

 

Zheng Enchong was tried behind closed doors on 28 August 2003. His family were barred from the trial on the grounds that the case involved 'state secrets'. More than 100 people, to most of whom Zheng had given legal help, protested outside the court. He was found guilty and on 28 October 2003 was sentenced to three years in prison.

After his arrest, members of his family were harassed and his wife, Jiang Meili, was detained briefly at least three times. The prison director has told Zheng that his sentence could be reduced by one year if he admitted to his 'crime'. After he refused to do this, he was been subjected to unfair treatment.  Zheng was being held in poor conditions, reportedly in solitary confinement. Zheng's physical and mental health deteriorated. Jiang was able to visit her husband for less than 20 minutes in February 2004: she said that when asked if he was being mistreated, Zheng replied 'there are many, many things I am unable to tell you'. In November 2004, guards manhandled Zheng out of the visitors' room when he began to discuss his case with his wife.

Lawyer and human rights defender Zheng Enchong was released from a three-year prison sentence on 5 June 2006. He expressed thanks to Amnesty International for the organisation's support and efforts in calling for his release. However, since he was freed, he and his family have been harassed and intimidated by the authorities, and Zheng Enchong has been detained four times. Amnesty International fears he and his family are at risk of further abuse.

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