13 December 2005

Alert

Detention of journalist Ching Cheong extended


Incident details

Ching Cheong

journalist(s)

other
(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 12 December 2005 CPJ press release:

CHINA: Detention of Straits Times journalist Ching Cheong extended

New York, December 12, 2005 - Chinese authorities have extended for three months the detention without charge of Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong, a move condemned today by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Ching, a reporter for the Singapore daily The Straits Times, has been held since April 22 without access to a lawyer.

"It is deplorable that our colleague continues to be held in a Beijing detention center without counsel or any means to defend himself against the government's accusations," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. "Authorities have produced no evidence of a crime, and must release Ching Cheong immediately."

Ching was detained while seeking transcripts of interviews with ousted former leader Zhao Ziyang, according to his wife Mary Lau. Zhao spent 15 years under house arrest for opposing the military crackdown at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

On August 5, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that Ching had been formally arrested on suspicion of spying for Taiwan. He was transferred from house arrest in Beijing to a remand center.

A Chinese official speaking on behalf of the State Council told The Straits Times that the investigation period for Ching's case had been extended twice after his arrest, the newspaper reported on Saturday.

The Straits Times said its requests for Ching to see a lawyer have been denied.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org.



Source

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
 

Updates to this story

"Straits Times" correspondent Ching Cheong receives five-year prison sentence 31 August 2006

More on this case

Transfer of Ching Cheong case to state prosecutors increases likelihood he will be charged with spying, says CPJ 6 January 2006 Jailed Hong Kong reporter's case heads to prosecutors 3 January 2006 Journalist Ching Cheong imprisoned without lawyer for six months 24 October 2005 Authorities turn down request for defence lawyer for journalist Ching Cheong 30 August 2005 IFJ and HKJA call for fair trial in case of Hong Kong journalist accused of spying 8 August 2005 CPJ calls for immediate release of journalist being held on suspicion of espionage 1 June 2005 Hong Kong reporter detained by Chinese authorities 31 May 2005

China

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