The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN strongly protests the
three-year prison sentence handed down to dissident writer and journalist
Chen Daojun for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ in his online
articles. International PEN considers Chen Daojun’s conviction to be in
violation of his right to free expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which China is a signatory, and
calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

According to International PEN’s information, freelance journalist Chen
Daojun was handed down a three-year imprisonment sentence and three years’
deprivation of political rights on 11 November 2008 by the Intermediate
People’s Court of Chengdu. Chen was arrested on 9 May 2008 and charged with
“inciting subversion of state power”. At some point during Chen’s detention,
the charge of “inciting subversion” was dropped and replaced by “inciting
succession” for reasons which remain unclear to PEN. At his trial which took
place on 5 November 2008 and lasted two and a half hours, no verdict was
reached. However, on 11 November 2008 it was announced that he had been
convicted of ‘inciting subversion’ in three of his articles published in
overseas Chinese websites and a Hong Kong-based magazine. The articles in
Chinese language can be found on the following links:
1) Misgovernment Drives People to Revolt - My Respect to the Tibetans
Struggling Heroically
(http://2newcenturynet.blogspot.com/2008/04/blog-post_7713.html), comment on
the March 2008 protests for Tibet;
2) What to Do After the Seventeenth Congress?
(http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/gd/200711/20071117100747.html),
comment on the Chinese Communist Party congress in Nov 2007;
3) The Backgrounds of the Anti-West Chinese
(http://www.fireofliberty.org/article/7867.asp), comment on the Chinese
demonstrations against France and the US in April 2008.
Chen Daojun, aged 40, is a freelance dissident writer from Jintang Township,
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province.  He is believed to be targeted for several
articles in support of anti-government protesters in the Tibetan Autonomous
Region following unrest which broke out in the region in March 2008.
For the previous WiPC alert on Chen Daojun’s case, please see:
http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.cfm?objectid=973898A2-E0C4-ED84-0C1A9089620AF511
Please send appeals:
-      Protesting the sentence imposed on dissident writer and
journalist Chen Daojun;
-      Calling for his immediate and unconditional release in accordance
with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
to which China is a signatory.
WiPC recommends that you copy your appeal to the Chinese embassy in your
country asking them to forward it and welcoming any comments.
Government addresses:
His Excellency Hu Jintao
President of the People’s Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R. China.
Mr. Meng Jianzhu
Minister of the Public Security
East Chang’an Avenue 14
100741 Beijing
P.R. China

Please note that fax numbers are no longer available for the Chinese
authorities, so you may wish to ask the diplomatic representative for China
in your country to forward your appeals.

Please copy appeals to the diplomatic representative for China in your
country if possible.
**Please contact the PEN WiPC office in London if sending appeals after 24
December 2008**

For further information please contact Cathy McCann at International PEN
Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V
6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email:
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)