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A Chinese language human rights lawyer has began a starvation strike in protest in opposition to his therapy in jail the place he’s serving time for “subversion of state energy”, rights teams say.
Xu Zhiyong, 51, a former lecturer on the Beijing College of Put up and Telecommunications, is serving 14 years.
Mr Xu started his starvation strike on 4 October to protest his therapy and violations of his rights within the Lunan jail in Shandong province, in keeping with Chinese language Human Rights Defenders (CHRD).
His quick has sparked considerations for his failing well being amongst fellow activists, who’ve known as on the Chinese language authorities to supply “satisfactory medical care” to him.
CHRD known as for Mr Xu’s rapid and unconditional launch from what it described as “wrongful detention”.
Mr Xu is being held individually and three fellow prisoners have been charged with monitoring him across the clock, in keeping with his lawyer.
He has been disadvantaged of telephone calls and studying or writing supplies whereas his household claims to have by no means acquired any of the letters written by him, Radio Free Asia reported.
He’s reportedly referred to within the jail system as “Prisoner No 003″, quite than by his identify.
Mr Xu has misplaced about 5kg in 20 days, CHRD stated, including that jail authorities haven’t confirmed whether or not he’s receiving any medical care throughout his strike.
His associate Li Qiaochu, an activist, was launched from jail in August after serving a 44-month sentence given partly for having accused authorities of subjecting Mr Xu to torture.
Mr Xu and fellow lawyer Ding Jiaxi have been placed on trial behind closed doorways in June 2022 on expenses of state subversion in Linshu County within the northeastern province of Shandong.
They’re outstanding figures within the New Residents’ Motion and have served jail sentences beforehand as properly. The motion, based in 2010, calls for better transparency across the wealth of public officers and advocates for residents to train their rights as written within the structure.
Mr Xu had written an open letter calling for Chinese language President Xi Jinping to resign attributable to his poor dealing with of the nation’s disaster. He was arrested in February 2020.
“I fear about Xu Zhiyong’s dire situation. He’s risking his life to protest this inhumane therapy and authorities are tightly controlling his household and family,” Sophie Luo, activist and spouse of Mr Ding, stated.
“They’re virtually silenced, warned in opposition to disclosing any details about Xu. No lawyer has been allowed to go to him.”
Ms Luo stated her husband has been lately disadvantaged of his proper to speak along with his household for the second time.
CHRD requested involved governments and UN human rights our bodies to urgently press Beijing to supply care and launch Mr Xu.
“As he enters the third week of his starvation strike, it’s important that governments state their unequivocal assist for Xu Zhiyong and different writers and dissidents unjustly imprisoned in China,” stated Liesl Gerntholtz of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Middle.
Mr Xu was made an honorary member of the Impartial Chinese language PEN Middle in 2013 and honoured with the PEN America 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
Beijing has been accused of dramatically clamping down on dissent since Xi took over as president in 2012. China, nonetheless, has rejected allegations of human rights abuses, claiming that the jailed rights legal professionals and activists are criminals who broke the legislation.
