[CHRD] Shandong Petitioners Beaten, Detained After Appealing to China’s “First Lady”

China Human Rights Briefing

January 18-23, 2013

Reprisals Against Activists
Shandong Petitioners Beaten, Detained After Appealing to China’s “First Lady” Over Grievances

Six Shandong petitioners who recently appealed to China’s “first lady” in their quest for justice were beaten and forcibly returned to their hometown, where they were interrogated for nearly eight hours. On January 16 in Beijing, Linyi City residents, including activist Liu Guohui (刘国慧), held a sign outside the People’s Liberation Army Art Institute appealing to Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛), the wife of incoming president Xi Jinping (习近平) who has a position at the school. Beijing police took the petitioners away to a police station before handing them over to thugs hired by the Linyi liaison office, who proceeded to beat and threaten the petitioners, confiscate their cell phones, and forcibly return them back to Shandong. Once back in Linyi, the petitioners, who had gone to the capital to express grievances against local officials, were held and questioned at length, and Liu Guohui was later placed under soft detention. The group has indicated that they will report the treatment they faced in the capital to Beijing authorities since Linyi police refused to look into the incident.[1]

Edited by Ann Song and Victor Clemens

[1] “Linyi, Shandong Rights Defender Liu Guohui Under Soft Detention at Home” (山东临沂维权人士刘国慧被软禁家中), January 21, 2013, WQW; “Six Petitioners From Linyi City, Shandong Province Kidnapped, Beaten by Local Government’s Liaison Office in Beijing” (山东临沂六上访人被当地驻京办劫持暴力殴打), January 18, 2013, WQW