INTERNET UNDER SURVEILLANCE
2005
prison
Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage today at the five-year
prison sentence imposed by a court in Benghu (in Anhui province, west
of Shanghai) on 28 July on cyber-dissident Zhang Lin for
"violating national security." His lawyer was notified only today.
Zhang intends to appeal.
"The Chinese judges were deaf to Zhang’s plea of not guilty on the
basis of the right to free expression because, in their view,
expressing oneself on the Internet is a crime that deserves five years
in prison," Reporters Without Borders said, calling for his release
and the withdrawal of all charges against him.
"Coming after Shi Tao’s 10-year prison sentence, this latest heavy
sentence confirms that the justice system holds freedom of expression
in complete contempt and that the crackdown on pro-democracy
intellectuals begun by President Hu Jintao continues," the press
freedom organisation added.
After Zhang’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, was notified today, his wife
immediately went to the court to get a copy of the sentence. She said
Zhang, who will also be deprived of his political rights for four
years after completion of the prison term, was devastated by the
severity of the sentence. He and his lawyer were determined to appeal,
she added. They have 10 days starting tomorrow to file the appeal.<!–
D(["mb","
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\r\nZhang, who has been imprisoned since 29 January 2005, was convicted of\r\nposting reports and essays on the Internet which were "contrary to\r\nthe bases of the constitution" and which "jeopardised national\r\nunity and territorial sovereignty, spread lies and disturbed public\r\norder and social stability." The sentence was imposed under article\r\n105 of the criminal law on "subversion."
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\r\nReporters sans frontières est indignée par la condamnation du\r\ncyberdissident Zhang Lin à cinq ans de prison pour « atteinte\r\nà la sécurité nationale ». Son avocat n\’a été informé\r\nde la décision que cinq jours après l\’énoncé du verdict, rendu\r\nle 28 juillet 2005. Zhang Lin compte faire appel.
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\r\n« La justice est restée sourde à la défense de Zhang Lin\r\nqui a plaidé non coupable, défendant son droit à la liberté\r\nd\’expression. Pour les juges chinois, exprimer son opinion sur\r\nInternet est un crime qui vaut cinq ans de prison, a déclaré\r\nReporters sans frontières. Après les dix ans d\’emprisonnement\r\ninfligé au journaliste Shi Tao, cette nouvelle condamnation confirme\r\nle mépris total des magistrats pour la liberté d\’expression. Cette\r\nsérie de lourdes condamnations confirme que la répression contre\r\nles intellectuels réformateurs, engagée par le président Hu\r\nJintao, continue. » L\’organisation demande la libération de\r\nZang Lin et l\’abandon des charges pesant contre lui.”,1]
);
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Zhang, who has been imprisoned since 29 January 2005, was convicted of
posting reports and essays on the Internet which were "contrary to
the bases of the constitution" and which "jeopardised national
unity and territorial sovereignty, spread lies and disturbed public
order and social stability." The sentence was imposed under article
105 of the criminal law on "subversion."
presented at his trial, held behind closed doors on 21 June, quoted
one of his essays in which he used the words of a punk song. The
prosecutor also made much of the fact that he gave an interview to a
foreign news media.
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 
If CCP believes it controls and manages China at best, then majority of Chinese people would support the party and the government. And CCP don’t have to fear some criticism against them or some weird youth culture. If punk rock is bad, then how come leaders of CCP send their children to US universities to study? A US university has punk rock, drug, sex, and worst of all, freedom… I am wondering if Hu Jintao have ever read the book, 1984 by George Orwell.
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