RSF Interview with Wife of Cyber-Dissident Huang Qi

Reporters without Borders have posted an interview with Zeng Li, the wife of cyber-dissident Huan Qi, who has been imprisoned since June 10 in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province.

Huan had the temerity to publish articles critical of the local authorities' performance during the aftermath of the terrible May 12 earthquake that devastated that part of China.

His articles on www.64tianwang.com dealt with the humanitarian situation and how "international aid was mismanaged by local authorities." For that he was accused of the ludicrous charge of "illegal possession of state secrets."

The audio transcript of the interview in Chinese can be heard here. These are her translated answers:

Huang Qi is a cyber-dissident and online journalist who has fought hard in recent years so that the inhabitants of Sichuan can have access to better information. He has exposed the injustices they have suffered, and none of his articles has been disputed by the authorities. During the earthquake, his work helped to improve the humanitarian situation. He did everything he could to get equipment where it was needed and to help transport relief aid. He did what any Chinese citizen would have done.

Huang Qi posted articles on his website that included statements by parents who lost their children when schools collapsed during the earthquake. This is what fueled the anger of the authorities and it was for this reason that he was arrested. He is charged with "illegal possession of state secrets." It is a totally unfair and unacceptable decision.

Various political leaders and the government have said on several occasions that the human rights situation would improve in China. But the authorities have not kept their promises and they maintain their repressive policies towards freedom of expression. And now they have taken Huang Qi’s freedom of expression away from him. It is absurd.

Huang Qi still has very violent headaches as a result of the mistreatment and torture he underwent the last time he was imprisoned. He is being held in the absence of any valid legal grounds and he is being treated in an inhumane manner that violates the basic principle of human dignity. Within Huang Qi’s family, we worry a lot about his health. Thanks to Reporters Without Borders, we hope this appeal will be heard and diplomatic means will be deployed to end this situation.