DHONDUP WANGCHEN MAY FACE UNFAIR TRIAL
Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan documentary-maker, is awaiting trial for “inciting separatism” in Xining city, the capital of Qinghai province in western China. The authorities have forced his lawyers to stop representing him, casting doubts over the fairness of his trial proceedings. He is a prisoner of conscience, detained for his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
Dhondup Wangchen was detained on 26 March 2008. After about three months in custody, he escaped while held in an unofficial place of detention, but was re-detained and is now held in Xining City No.1 Detention Centre. He was tortured and ill-treated while being interrogated in 2008. He suffers from Hepatitis B, for which he is not being treated. His family received no official notification of his whereabouts or reason for his detention until April 2009.
In early 2009, Dhondup Wangchen’s family appointed two lawyers to defend him but police prohibited their meetings with Dhondup Wangchen on the grounds that his case involved state secrets. They were only allowed to meet him once, in April. On 13 July, Beijing judicial authorities told his lawyers, who are based in Beijing, to drop the case because of a new rule that only permits lawyers based in the province where a case has been filed to take it up. Violations of the rule will be punished by revoking lawyers’ professional licence. There is however no such limitation in China's law on lawyers. Only a few lawyers in China take the risk of representing victims of human rights violations. Recently, six well-known human rights lawyers had their licences revoked and at least 14 more are awaiting the final results of an annual assessment of their licences.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Mandarin or your own language,
calling on the Chinese authorities to:
> release Dhondup Wangchen immediately and unconditionally, as he has been detained solely for his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression;
> guarantee that while he remains in custody, he is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and has access to family, legal assistance of his choosing and any medical care he may require;
> ensure that Dhondup Wangchen’s trial is in line with international fair trial standards;
> conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into the allegations that Dhondup Wangchen has been tortured and otherwise ill-treated, with a view to bringing those responsible to justice.
Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China
WU Aiying Buzhang
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65292345
Email: pfmaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
Salutation: Dear Minister
Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China
WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie
Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.