Chinese Regime Sentences Lawyer to 7 Years in Prison for Defending Falun Gong
2009-12-1 10:13
He’s been detained for more than four months. And then, last Friday human rights lawyer Wang Yonghang was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Shahekou People’s Court in Dalian city in China.
He was charged with “posting articles on a foreign website” and so-called “using a cult to damage the social and legal systems.”
In 2008, Wang posted an open letter to Chinese communist leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. He argued the persecution of Falun Gong adherents is illegal and unconstitutional.
In 1999, the communist regime started a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong, a traditional Chinese spiritual practice also known as Falun Dafa. According to the Falun Dafa Information Centre, at least six thousand Falun Gong adherents have been sentenced to prison, and about 100-thousand more are in re-education-through-labor camps.
Wang Yonghang is one of a few lawyers of conscience who have taken on Falun Gong cases. Despite the Chinese regime’s illegal mandate that there be (quote) “no legal defense of innocence for Falun Gong.”
Wang then lost his license to practice law. But he continued to defend Falun Gong adherents.
According to rights advocate, Chinese Human Rights Defenders, Wang was detained and tortured by Dalian city police on July 4th. Amnesty International called for urgent action for his release, but then on October 16 he was put though a secret trial.
Wang is part of an increasing number of lawyers being targeted for taking on human rights cases. They report being harassed and beaten by police, and often lose their license to practice law.
