Chinese Authorities Release House Church Filmmaker After 140 Days in Custody

September 1, 2006

On July 11, Reporters Without Borders reported that documentary filmmaker and blogger Hao Wu had been released by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) after being held for 140 days. The PSB never provided a reason for holding Wu, but at the time he was taken into custody on February 22, Wu was shooting a documentary about China's unregistered house churches, the subject of frequent harassment and repression by the Chinese government. On that day, Wu was supposed to meet with Beijing lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who had represented unregistered house church members and whom Wu had wanted to include in his documentary. Gao advised against the meeting, according to a July 3 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article (subscription required). Two days after Wu was taken away, police removed editing equipment and several videotapes from his apartment, according to the WSJ. While Wu was being held, police interrogated one of his friends multiple times about the source of funding for Wu's film, the WSJ said. Prior to being held, Wu had written on his blog about being confronted by police while filming worshippers at a church.

On July 11, Reporters Without Borders reported that documentary filmmaker and blogger Hao Wu had been released by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) after being held for 140 days. The PSB never provided a reason for holding Wu, but at the time he was taken into custody on February 22, Wu was shooting a documentary about China's unregistered house churches, the subject of frequent harassment and repression by the Chinese government. On that day, Wu was supposed to meet with Beijing lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who had represented unregistered house church members and whom Wu had wanted to include in his documentary. Gao advised against the meeting, according to a July 3 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article (subscription required). Two days after Wu was taken away, police removed editing equipment and several videotapes from his apartment, according to the WSJ. While Wu was being held, police interrogated one of his friends multiple times about the source of funding for Wu's film, the WSJ said. Prior to being held, Wu had written on his blog about being confronted by police while filming worshippers at a church.

As was the case with Yang Tianshui and Xu Wanping, authorities denied Wu access to a lawyer on the grounds that the case involved state secrets, according to a May 17 blog entry (in Chinese) by Wu's sister, Nina Wu, who advocated on his behalf. Wu was also not allowed to receive visits from relatives. Authorities said that they had placed Wu under "house arrest" but there is no indication that the PSB ever formally arrested Wu.

In a report on its 2004 mission to China, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) identified Chinese authorities' use of "state secrets" exceptions as an area of concern, noting that they improperly interfere with access to defense counsel.