Criminal Justice

On the eve of December 10, 2008, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, over 300 Chinese citizens signed and posted online a document titled "Charter 08," calling for political reform and greater protection of human rights in China. Signers included leading intellectuals, lawyers, writers, farmers, and workers. Over the past week, many hundreds more people in China have signed, with some reports placing the number of signers in the thousands. Chinese abroad have signed the Charter as well.

More than 300 Chinese citizens--including scholars, writers, lawyers, and activists--issued Charter 08 (English / Chinese), an open statement calling for greater rights and political reform in China on the eve of December 10. The date coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Human Rights Day. The prominent intellectual Liu Xiaobo has been detained under suspicion of "inciting subversion" in connection with Charter 08, according to a December 10 Independent Chinese Pen Center article (in Chinese). Several other activists also have been detained in advance of Human Rights Day.

Wo Weihan, a Chinese citizen, was detained in January 2005 and sentenced on May 27, 2007, by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court to execution on charges related to military espionage for Taiwan and endangering state security, according to press reports (see November 22 Reuters report, for example). On March 24, 2008, the Beijing High People's Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence. Under Chinese law, Mr. Wo's sentence was subject to final review by China’s Supreme People's Court. Mr.

Chinese authorities have continued to target religious leaders for harassment, detention, and other abuses, in the midst and aftermath of the Olympic Games. China's preparations for the sporting event ushered in a period of heightened government scrutiny and control over communities including religious groups. Recently reported cases include:

Officials in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) called again in August for the use of harsh security measures to crack down against the government-designated "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, according to reports from Chinese media. On August 13, Wang Lequan, XUAR Communist Party Chair, described the battle against the "three forces" as a "life or death struggle" and pledged to "strike hard" against their activities, according to an August 14 report from the Xinjiang Daily. XUAR Party Committee Standing Committee member Zhu Hailun reiterated the pledge to "strike hard" at an August 18 meeting, according to an August 19 report from the Xinjiang Daily.