Incorporating Responsibility 2008

Take Action for Yao Fuxin

On this page:

Send Appeals
Publish or Blog for Yao Fuxin

Send appeals to the Chinese authorities

Sample letter to the Minister of Justice urging Yao Fuxin's release:

Printer-friendly version [PDF]

Wu Aiying
Minister of Justice
10 Chaoyang Men Nan Da Jie
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100020
People's Republic of China
minister@legalinfo.gov.cn

Dear Minister Wu Aiying,

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the continued imprisonment of seriously ill labor activist Yao Fuxin, who was convicted of subversion and sentenced to seven years in prison on May 9, 2003. Yao Fuxin is guilty of nothing more than leading a series of peaceful demonstrations, an activity that is protected under international and Chinese domestic law.

The subversion charge against Yao Fuxin, who merely attempted to exercise his rights to freedom of expression and association, is completely groundless. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined after investigation that Yao's detention is arbitrary.

Yao Fuxin reportedly suffers from chronic heart disease and high blood pressure. He has been denied proper medical attention while in prison. Despite repeated requests by his family, he has been repeatedly denied medical parole. Yao's health and well-being have steadily deteriorated during his years in prison.

I therefore urge you to order the immediate and unconditional release of Yao Fuxin or, failing that, his immediate release on medical parole, in accordance with PRC Criminal Procedure Law and relevant associated regulations, so that he may receive necessary medical attention and treatment as a matter of urgency.

Sincerely,
[your name]

Sample letter to Prison Director:

Printer-friendly version [PDF]

Director of the Prison Administration Bureau of Liaoning Province
38 Congshandong Road
Yuhong district
Shenyang 110032
People's Republic of China

Dear Director,

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the continued imprisonment of seriously ill labor activist Yao Fuxin, who is currently serving seven years in your prison for subversion. I believe that Yao Fuxin's detention results from the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association, and that he should therefore be released.

Yao Fuxin is reportedly in poor health and has been denied proper medical attention while at your prison. He lost hearing in his right ear due to an injury sustained when he was first detained in March 2002. He has suffered two heart attacks while in prison and also suffers from high blood pressure. Since October 2003 he has collapsed several times due to his chronic heart trouble.

While serving time in your prison, Yao is reportedly kept under 24-hour surveillance; he is not allowed to talk with other prisoners or go outside. Two prisoners have been assigned to monitor his every movement, even his brief toilet breaks. He is not allowed to read books or newspapers or to write or call his family. Although the prison is without heat, he has been refused padded garments and his family has been prevented from giving him warmer clothes. Yao has also been denied regular contact with his family.

I therefore urge you to ensure that Yao Fuxin is given immediate and appropriate medical treatment for his deteriorating health, and that he and all other prisoners in your facility are treated in a humane manner consistent with the PRC Prison Law and international standards.

Sincerely,
[your name]

^ Top

Publish or Blog for Yao Fuxin

Do you have a website or a blog? Do you belong to any online communities, such as Facebook or MySpace? Download the banners below and link back to this Take Action website (http://www.ir2008.org) to encourage others to help make a difference.

If you would like to accompany the link with a short profile of Yao Fuxin, please copy and paste the following text:

Yao Fuxin, 57, was involved in organizing workers in Liaoning to address corruption and other issues facing the local factories. A former employee at the Liaoyang Steel Rolling Factory, he is married with one daughter. In late March 2002, Yao Fuxin was secretly detained and formally charged with "gathering a crowd to disturb social order" after leading tens of thousands of workers from Liaoyang factories in a peaceful demonstration protesting against corruption and demanding the payment of back wages and pensions. He was later charged with the far more serious charge of subversion due to alleged involvement in the banned China Democracy Party. 

During his trial, Yao insisted on his innocence, saying he believed in the government and wanted to see the plight of the workers resolved. He was sentenced to seven years, which he is now serving at Lingyuan No. 2 Prison in Liaoning. His family fought for a retrial with the assistance of his defense lawyer Mo Shaoping, but it was announced at a secret hearing on June 27, 2003, that the appeal was rejected and the original sentence upheld. Since his imprisonment, Yao has been plagued by serious health problems. Family members, who visit him regularly, say he is in very poor health. Yao's family and Liaoyang workers have repeatedly appealed to authorities as high as the National People's Congress and the Supreme People's Court to release Yao on medical parole, but without success.

^ Top