- Update info:
- 12 Apr 2016 (Suspended)
- Latest info:
- 10 Mar 2016 (Updated)
- 11 Sep 2015
- Country:
- PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
- Subject:
- Zhang Kai, Liu Peng, Fang Xiangui
Gender : Male
- Period:
- 12 May 2016
- Distribution date:
- 11 Sep 2015
- UA No:
- 190/2015
A prominent human rights lawyer and his two assistants have been detained in China as part of a wider crackdown on activists who are resisting the removal of crosses from churches. Zhang Kai has been placed under ‘residential surveillance’ in an unknown location, which means he can be held for up to six months without access to his lawyers or family.
Prominent human rights lawyer Zhang Kai was taken away by police from a church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in south-east China on 25 August. Two legal assistants of his, Liu Peng and Fang Xiangui, and several members of a local congregation, including pastors, were detained at the same time. Some have since been released, but Zhang Kai has been placed under ‘residential surveillance’, that allows the authorities to hold him for up to six months at a location outside of the formal detention system, without access to his lawyers or family.
Zhang Kai is being held under suspicion of ‘stealing, spying into, purchasing, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence’ to foreign actors and ‘disturbing public order’. Liu Peng is said to be under ‘residential surveillance’ for the same charges, but this has not been confirmed. Their lawyers attempted to meet with them but were denied by the authorities. Fang Xiangui is facing a lesser charge and is currently being held at a detention centre.
Zhang Kai has been offering legal support to a number of churches in Zhejiang province after the authorities began demolishing churches and removing crosses and crucifixes in late 2013. This has intensified in recent months, and activists say over 1,200 crosses have been torn down and several churches destroyed. There have been a series of protests against the campaign, and it is feared the recent detentions are intended to deter any further resistance.
Zhang Kai is one of over 200 lawyers and activists that were targeted as part of a nationwide crackdown that began in July. According to his colleagues, he was released after being questioned, but was warned not to hold law lectures or continue representing any churches.
more
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Over 200 human rights lawyers and activists were detained, missing, or brought in for questioning as part of an unprecedented nationwide crackdown which began in July. Thirty people are still in detention or are unaccounted for. At least ten people are being held on suspicion of ‘inciting subversion of state power’, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years. The crackdown was accompanied by a smear campaign in state media, with lawyers and activists accused of being part of a criminal operation to ‘undermine social stability’.
Local authorities in Zhejiang province are removing crosses from churches on the pretext of a wider urbanization and beautification campaign which is targeting illegal structures. However, the removal of over 1,200 crosses has led to a series of protests organised by Church activists in recent months. This has included sit-ins in churches and singing hymns to security officials. Several churches have said they have been subjected to audits and financial reviews, with some pastors detained on suspicion of ‘embezzlement’, after they resisted the removal of crosses.
Zhang Kai is a very important figure in combating the campaign against Christianity in Zhejiang. He published a small booklet to inform people of their rights in trying to defend the Cross (shi jia weiquan shouce). He also launched the Protecting the Cross Lawyers Group in July, just after being targeted in the crackdown against human rights lawyers. He was also representing many churches in their legal struggles to defend their rights.
UA: 190/15 Index: ASA 17/2370/2015 Issue Date: 4 September 2015
- Update info:
- 12 Apr 2016 (Suspended)
- Latest info:
- 10 Mar 2016 (Updated)
- 11 Sep 2015
- Country:
- PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
- Subject:
- Zhang Kai, Liu Peng, Fang Xiangui
Gender m/f: Male
- Period:
- 12 May 2016
- Distribution date:
- 10 Mar 2016
- UA No:
- 190/2015
A prominent human rights lawyer has been criminally detained in China after being placed under ‘residential surveillance’ in an unknown location for six months, without access to lawyer or family. He had been providing assistance to activists who are resisting the removal of crosses from churches. His detention is part of a nationwide crackdown against human rights lawyers and activists.
Prominent human rights lawyer Zhang Kai, 37, was transferred to Wenzhou Detention Centre under criminal detention on 26 February. He had appeared on Chinese State television the day before, looking thin and exhausted, in a taped “confession” in which he recognized having “violated national laws, disturbed social order, and endangered national security”. It is possible that this “confession” was made under duress. He is being held under suspicion of ‘stealing, spying into, purchasing, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence’ to foreign actors and ‘disturbing public order’.
Zhang Kai was taken away by police from a church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in south-east China on 25 August 2015. He was placed under ‘residential surveillance’, which allowed the authorities to hold him for up to six months at a location outside the formal detention system, without access to his lawyers and family. His two assistants Liu Peng and Fang Xiangui were detained at the same time but were released on 11 December.
Zhang Kai had been offering legal support to a number of churches in Zhejiang province after the authorities began demolishing churches and removing crosses and crucifixes in late 2013. According to activists, over 1,500 crosses were torn down and several churches destroyed within a few months, after the demolitions intensified in 2015. Zhang Kai is one of over 200 lawyers and activists that have been targeted as part of a nationwide crackdown that began in July 2015.
more
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Over 200 human rights lawyers and activists were detained, missing, or brought in for questioning as part of an unprecedented nationwide crackdown which began in July 2015. Thirty people are still in detention or are unaccounted for. At least ten people are being held on suspicion of ‘inciting subversion of state power’, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years. The crackdown was accompanied by a smear campaign in state media, with lawyers and activists accused of being part of a criminal operation to ‘undermine social stability’.
Local authorities in Zhejiang province are removing crosses from churches on the pretext of a wider urbanization and beautification campaign targeting illegal structures. However, the removal of over 1,500 crosses led to a series of protests organized by Church activists. This included sit-ins in churches and singing hymns to security officials. Several churches have said they have been subjected to audits and financial reviews, with some pastors detained on suspicion of ‘embezzlement’, after they resisted the removal of crosses.
Zhang Kai was a very important figure in combating the campaign against Christianity in Zhejiang. He published a small booklet to inform people of their rights in trying to defend the Cross (shi jia weiquan shouce). He also launched the Protecting the Cross Lawyers Group in July 2015, just after being targeted in the crackdown against human rights lawyers. He was also representing many churches in their legal struggles to defend their rights.
The Chinese government’s crackdown against the Protestant churches has further escalated in recent months.
On 28 January, Gu Yuese, a senior pastor of Chongyi Church in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was placed under “residential surveillance”, after being removed from his position ten days earlier. His family believe his wife is also in police custody. Gu Yuese publicly opposed a government-sponsored project of removing crosses from churches in Zhejiang province.
On 26 February, pastor Bao Guohua and his wife Xing Wenxiang, also a pastor, from Jinghua city in Zhejiang province, were sentenced to 14 years’ and 12 years’ imprisonment respectively for embezzling money from their congregation and “gathering a crowd to disturb social order”. Bao Guohua was vocal against the removal of the crosses from churches.
Further information on UA: 190/15 Index: ASA 17/3559/2016 China Date: 3 March 2016
- Update info:
- 12 Apr 2016 (Suspended)
- Latest info:
- 10 Mar 2016 (Updated)
- 11 Sep 2015
- Country:
- PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
- Subject:
- Zhang Kai, Liu Peng, Fang Xiangui
Gender : Male
- Period:
- 12 May 2016
- Distribution date:
- 12 Apr 2016
- UA No:
- 190/2015
A prominent human rights lawyer supporting churches resisting the removal of crosses was released on 23 March after being detained for seven months.
Prominent human rights lawyer Zhang Kai, 37, posted on his WeChat and Weibo on 23 March evening saying that he “safely returned to his hometown in Inner Mongolia”, and thanked friends who showed concern for him and his family during his detention. His release was also confirmed by friends and family. However Zhang Kai did not mention any reason for his sudden release.
He was transferred to the Wenzhou Detention Centre under criminal detention on 26 February. He appeared on Chinese State television the day before in a taped “confession” in which he recognized having “violated national laws, disturbed social order, and endangered national security”. It was possible that the “confession” was made under duress. He was held on suspicion of “stealing, spying into, purchasing, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence’ to foreign actors and ‘disturbing social order’.
Zhang Kai was taken away by police from a church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in south-east China on 25 August 2015. He was placed under ‘residential surveillance’ at a location outside the formal detention system, without access to his lawyers and family. His two assistants Liu Peng and Fang Xiangui were detained at the same time but were released on 11 December 2015.
Zhang Kai had been offering legal support to a number of churches in Zhejiang province after the authorities began demolishing churches and removing crosses and crucifixes in late 2013. According to activists, over 1,500 crosses were torn down and several churches destroyed within a few months, after the demolition intensified in 2015. Zhang Kai is one of over 200 lawyers and activists that have been targeted as part of a nationwide crackdown that began in July 2015.
Many thanks to all those that took action. No more action is required from the UA Network.
This is the second update of UA 190/15. Further information: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/3559/2016/en/
Further information on UA: 190/15 Index: ASA 17/3715/2016 Issue Date: 25 March 2016
