European Parliament's resolution on the arrest of Hu Jia

MEPs urge the Chinese government to release Hu Jia and implement other human rights reforms


European Parliament News Release -- January 17, 2008

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Photo dated 09 January 2007 shows prominent human rights activist Hu Jia and his wife Zeng Jinyan (L) as they pose for a photo at their apartment during an interview in Beijing. ©BELGA/AFP/Frederic J. BROWN
Free Hu Jia!

In a resolution adopted on Thursday afternoon, MEPs called on the Chinese authorities to release human rights campaigner Hu Jia and to respect human rights in the run-up to this year's Olympic Games.
Hu Jia was taken from his home in Beijing by police on 27 December 2007 on charges of inciting subversion. He and his wife Zeng Jinyan, who were among the candidates for last year's European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, have thrown the spotlight on human rights abuses in China over the past few years and spent many periods under house arrest as a result of their campaigning.
Last November Hu Jia spoke via audio-phone from Beijing to a hearing held in Brussels by the EP's Human Rights Subcommittee on Human rights in China in the run-up to the Olympic Games. At that time the subcommittee's chair, Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA, FR), congratulated Hu Jia on his courage in speaking out and said he could always count on the support of the European Parliament.
Human rights organisations described the December arrest as another move by the Chinese authorities to silence critics ahead of the Beijing Olympics, and 57 intellectuals from China immediately published an open letter calling for the instant release of Hu Jia.  European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering has already issued a statement criticising the arrest.
MEPs demand immediate release of Hu Jia and other dissidents
In today's resolution, Parliament "strongly condemns the detention of Hu Jia and demands his prompt release and that of all the dissidents who have been arrested and jailed for crimes of opinion". It also urges the authorities "to allow Hu Jia and all the other dissidents under arrest to receive medical assistance if necessary" (Hu Jia suffers from a liver disease).
China urged to live up to its human rights commitments - especially in Olympic year
MEPs call on China "to respect its commitments to human rights and the rule of law, in particular the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders" and "not to use the Olympic Games as a pretext to arrest and illegally detain and imprison dissidents, journalists and human rights activists".
Indeed, Parliament repeats its view that "human rights concerns should receive far more attention in the build-up to the Beijing Olympic Games", and points to Articles 1 and 2 of the Olympic Charter, which advocate 'respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' and the promotion of a peaceful society concerned 'with the preservation of human dignity'.
Reform of Chinese criminal law needed
In addition, MEPs call on China "to reform its criminal law to allow greater freedom of expression to journalists, writers, free-lances, reporters etc." who will report to the world on the Olympic Games.  They also urge the authorities "to close the so-called 'black jails', places of detention set up to detain 'troublemakers' in advance of this year's Olympics".
Lastly, the EU Council is urged to take action in relation to the Chinese authorities regarding not only the arrest of Hu Jia but also the disappearance on 22 September 2007 of Gao Zhisheng, a noted human rights attorney.
REF.: 20080115IPR18590

Further information :Full text of resolution

January 17, 2008 -- Joint Motion for a Resolution, pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure, presented by:

   
–
Thomas Mann, Edward McMillan-Scott, Charles Tannock, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Tunne Kelam, Georg Jarzembowski and Avril Doyle, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group

   
–
Marco Cappato, Dirk Sterckx, István Szent-Iványi, Frédérique Ries, Marios Matsakis and Anneli Jäätteenmäki, on behalf of the ALDE Group

   
–
Adam Bielan, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis and Marcin Libicki, on behalf of the UEN Group

   
–
Hélène Flautre, Helga Trüpel, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Eva Lichtenberger and Milan Horáček, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

   
–
Vittorio Agnoletto, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

European Parliament resolution on the arrest of the Chinese dissident Hu Jia
 
 

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the human rights situation in China,

–  having regard to the latest two rounds of the EU-China Dialogue on Human Rights held in Beijing on 17 October 2007 and in Berlin on 15-16 May 2007,

–  having regard to the public hearing held on 26 November 2007 by its Subcommittee on Human Rights concerning Human Rights in China in the run-up to the Olympics,

–  having regard to the Olympic Truce called for by the UN General Assembly on 31 October 2007, when it urged UN member states to observe and promote peace during the Olympic Games,

–  having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the human rights campaigner Hu Jia was taken away from his home in Beijing by police on 27 December 2007 on charges of inciting subversion,

B.  whereas Hu Jia and his wife, Zeng Jinyan, have thrown the spotlight on human rights abuses in China over the past few years and spent many periods under house arrest as a result of their campaigning,

C.  whereas Hu Jia is in bad health, suffering from a liver disease that obliges him to take medication,

D.  whereas in 2006 Time Magazine named Zeng Jinyan one of the world's one hundred 'heroes' and in 2007, together with Hu Jia, she received the Reporters without Borders special 'China' prize and a nomination for the Sakharov Prize,

E.  whereas human rights organisations called the arrest another move by the Chinese authorities to silence critics ahead of the Beijing Olympics,

F.  whereas 57 intellectuals from China immediately published an open letter calling for the instant release of Hu Jia,

G.  whereas the President of the European Parliament published a statement on 31 December 2007 admonishing the Chinese authorities for their detention of Hu Jia and urged them to use the forthcoming Games as 'an opportunity for China to demonstrate that a country hosting the world’s most important sports event is committed to internationally recognised human rights standards, including freedom of expression',

1.  Strongly condemns the detention of Hu Jia and demands his prompt release and that of all the dissidents who have been arrested and jailed for crimes of opinion;

2.  Urges the Chinese authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr Hu Jia, his relatives and his lawyers;

3.  Calls upon China to respect its commitments to human rights and the rule of law, in particular the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1998, by putting an end to the harassment of Chinese human rights defenders, in order to demonstrate its commitment to human rights in its Olympic year;

4.  Urges China not to use the Olympic Games as a pretext to arrest and illegally detain and imprison dissidents, journalists and human rights activists who either report on or demonstrate against human rights abuses;

5.  Reiterates its opinion that human rights concerns should receive far more attention in the build-up to the Beijing Olympic Games, and highlights the need for 'respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' and the promotion of a peaceful society concerned 'with the preservation of human dignity' as enshrined in Articles 1 and 2 of the Olympic Charter;

6.  Urges China to reform its criminal law to allow greater freedom of expression to journalists, writers, free-lances, reporters etc., who will report to the world on such an important event as the Olympic Games: considers that this reform will also make it possible to clarify the scope of certain unclear legal provisions (e.g. Article 105 of China's Criminal Code) and give the world a positive signal that the 17th Congress of the CCP paved the way for greater respect for different opinions;

7.  Calls on the Chinese authorities to allow Hu Jia and all the other dissidents under arrest to receive medical assistance if necessary, and to bear in mind that detention in inappropriate conditions could damage their health;

8.  Urges the Chinese authorities to close the so-called 'black jails', places of detention set up to detain 'troublemakers' in advance of this year's Olympics;

9.  Calls on the Council of the European Union to take action in relation to the Chinese authorities regarding the arrest of Hu Jia and the disappearance on 22 September 2007 of Gao Zhisheng, a noted human rights attorney and friend of Hu Jia, who has come to represent the plight of the many thousands of human rights defenders currently imprisoned in China;

10.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of the applicant countries, the President and Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China and the International Olympic Committee.