Imprisoned U.S. Businessman Jude Shao Eligible for Parole on May 8, 2006

April 28, 2006

Jude Shao, a California businessman and naturalized U.S. citizen, will become eligible for parole on May 8, 2006, after having served half of a 16-year prison sentence.

Jude Shao, a California businessman and naturalized U.S. citizen, will become eligible for parole on May 8, 2006, after having served half of a 16-year prison sentence. On April 6, 1998, Shao was placed under house arrest in Shanghai, and on May 8, 1998, the local procuratorate approved his formal arrest for falsely issuing value added tax receipts and for tax evasion. Shao was indicted on May 29, 1999, and tried in mid-June. According to various reports, his attorney was neither permitted to meet with him nor to review the evidence against him before trial. In March 2000, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court convicted Shao and sentenced him to 16 years in prison. His appeal was denied on June 6, 2000. Shao maintains that he paid all taxes and that he was unjustly prosecuted for his refusal to pay bribes to local officials. He has repeatedly petitioned the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) for a retrial based on new exculpatory evidence. On November 22, 2004, the SPC formally rejected his petition.

Under Article 81 of the Criminal Law, officials have discretion to grant parole to a prisoner after he or she has served half of a fixed term of imprisonment. A prisoner has a strong case for parole if he or she has observed prison regulations, accepted education and reform through labor, showed repentance, and will no longer cause harm to society. Under Article 44 of the Criminal Law, this term is calculated from the date of detention if the prisoner has been held in detention before the court judgment takes effect. As a result, Shao becomes eligible for parole on May 8, 2006.

In June 2004, Shao's family submitted an application for medical parole to the Shanghai Qingpu Prison where Shao has been held. Advocates for Shao have indicated that to date, there has been no response by the Chinese government. Shao is reportedly in poor health and suffers from a number of medical ailments including a heart condition.

For more information on Shao's case, see the CECC's analysis of his rejected retrial petition and background materials provided through www.freejudeshao.com.