Journalist Zheng Yichun Stands Trial in China

Posted on April 27, 2005

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports on the trial of Zheng Yichun, who was tried yesterday in China on charges of "inciting subversion."

Zheng, a prolific Internet writer and poet, has been imprisoned since December 3 after writing articles critical of the Communist Party and Chinese government policy.

Zheng's trial lasted less than three hours and was attended by high-level authorities of northeast China's Liaoning Province, his brother Zheng Xiaochun told CPJ. Prosecutors cited 63 articles written by the journalist, and listed the titles of several essays in which he called for political reform, increased capitalism in China, and an end to the practice of imprisoning writers.

Zheng Yichun's defense lawyer Li Mingchang entered a guilty plea but argued that his client's writings are protected under Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press. Li said that this constitutional protection should outweigh charges of subversion brought under Article 105 of Chinese criminal law. He asked the court to consider the light sentence given last summer to Du Daobin, another Internet journalist who was charged with inciting subversion.

"I am an independent intellectual and my freedom is protected under the Chinese constitution," Zheng Yichun told the court, according to his brother. "If I committed a crime, I was not conscious of it. ... I am a patriot. ... I hope that the government will give me a chance."

As is typical with trials in China, no media was allowed to attend and there's no word when a verdict will be announced. Zheng wrote for many Western online news websites that are blocked in China. At the end of 2004, China had 40 journalists in prison for their writings. For the sixth year in a row, China leads the world in the number of journalists who are imprisoned for their writings: not exactly something to be proud of.

---