(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the release of dissident writer Wang Dejia (aka Jing Chu), who was freed on bail on 12 January 2008, but remains concerned that he still faces charges. Wang, who was arrested on 13 December 2007 on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”, could stand trial within […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the release of dissident writer Wang Dejia (aka Jing Chu), who was freed on bail on 12 January 2008, but remains concerned that he still faces charges.
Wang, who was arrested on 13 December 2007 on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”, could stand trial within a year for his critical writings posted online. His release is said to be conditional on him not writing anything critical of the authorities or “subversive”.
According to PEN’s information, Guangxi-based dissident writer Wang Dejia was arrested from his home in Guilin, in China’s southern Guangxi Province, on 13 December and taken to the Quanzhou Chengbei police Station, where he was detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”.
His family believe his detention is directly related to his articles published on-line on the Minzhu Luntan website ( Democracy Forum, http://asiademo.org ), including “Illegal Possession of State Secrets – an important Chinese Communist Party Invention that Persecutes Prisoners of Conscience”, “Handcuffed Olympics Will Bring Only Disasters to the People”, and “Yi Yuanlong Jailed for Two Years for Four Articles; How Many Will I be Jailed For?”
His wife also reports that in October 2007 he met with U.S. Embassy officials to discuss human rights in China, which may have been a cause for his arrest.
