In the past three weeks Chinese authorities have intensified their harsh and inhumane crackdown against human rights defenders. Two well-known lawyers and the family of an activist have been targeted. Amnesty International fears for the lives of these and other peaceful human rights defenders.

On 15 October the National Communist Party of China (CPC) Congress will hold its 17th meeting.

This Congress meeting is held every five years and is a forum where economic planning takes place and senior Government and military positions are reshuffled. It should be noted that this meeting differs from the National People's Congress which is held annually.

For the past 4 weeks global information technology sources have been reporting that internet censorship in China is even more extreme than usual. There is speculation that this is a direct consequence of the upcoming National CPC Congress meeting. In particular, user generated content such as blogs are being targeted - clearly these are platforms where people could provide their own opinions and ideas. There are reports that Wikipedia is again blocked in China (both the English and Chinese versions).

On 13 September Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human rights lawyer, wrote an open letter to United States lawmakers stating that, in the light of the deterioration in the human rights situation in China, he could not support the country's staging of the 2008 Olympics. On 22 September, he disappeared. His whereabouts remain unknown.

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Chinese human rights lawyer missing

Li Heping is a Beijing-based human rights lawyer with a reputation for defending sensitive cases. On 28 September, police from the National Security Protection Unit visited Heping, informing him that his family should leave Beijing during the 17th Communist Party Congress.

Li Heping has acted for Christians arrested for unofficial house church activities, members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, alleged victims of forced eviction and independent writers. He appealed to authorities on behalf of lawyer Gao Zhisheng and was the defence lawyer for dissident, Yang Zili and imprisoned environmental activist Tan Kai.

On 29 September Li Heping was abducted and assaulted by a group of unidentified men. They beat him with electro-shock batons and warned of further attacks if he did not leave Beijing. He was then dumped in the woods in a suburb outside Beijing. After the assault, Li Heping released a personal statement describing his experience and firmly rejected demands that he should leave Beijing.

Housing rights activist Ye Guozhu is presently serving a 4-year prison sentence (which will end just after the conclusion of the Olympic Games) for attempting to organise a demonstration against evictions related to the building of Olympics infrastructure. A restaurant owned by Guozhu and his brother Ye Guoqiang was amongst the demolished buildings. Today Ye Guoqiang and the son of Ye Guozhu, Ye Mingjun are being held incommunicado.

On 29 September 2007, Ye Guoqiang went to a scenic spot in southwest Beijing, with a home-made placard protesting against forced evictions allegedly carried out to clear space for construction for the Olympic Games. He was arrested on the spot and his family were not told of his arrest until 3 October. They still do not know where he is being held. In the evening of 29 September police went to the home of Ye Guzhou's son, Ye Mingjun and took him away. Ye Mingjun and Ye Guoqiang are detained by Beijing police on suspicion of "inciting subversion", the fact they are being held incommunicado greatly increases their risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International calls on China to release imprisoned human rights defenders and for any persons detained to have access to their family, a lawyer and a fair trial. Human rights defenders should be permitted to go about their peaceful work without fear of imprisonment, torture and inhumane treatment.

As soon as we have further information on these and any other arising cases, we will provide you with updates.