On 13 February 2016 Zhu Yufu will spend yet another birthday – his 63rd – behind bars in China.
Political dissident and poet Zhu Yufu, a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), was arrested in March 2011 and later charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’ through his critical writings. A year later, Zhu Yufu was sentenced to seven years in prison for his poem ‘It’s Time’ and several messages he had sent on the internet.
While in detention, Zhu Yufu has been denied access to books and letters from his family. In November 2012, it was reported that he was in very poor health and being denied adequate health care, food and medication and in October 2013, prison authorities refused to allow a US doctor to visit him. His family has reportedly requested for medical parole numerous times during his incarceration, and all of them have been refused. A report issued by China Aid in April 2015 describes how Zhu Yufu is ‘in dangerously declining health’ and that his family members fear that he may die in prison.
We are continuing to call for Zhu Yufu’s immediate and unconditional release in the hope that he will be free and able to celebrate with family and friends next year.
Take action
Spread the word
Join the call for Zhu Yufu’s immediate release on social media #FreeZhuYufu
Send messages of support
Zhu Yufu
Zhejiang Provincial No.4 Prison
P.O. Box 50, Hangzhou City 311100
Zhejiang Province
P.R. China
浙江省杭州市50信箱，邮编311100
Send letters of appeal
- Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of dissident poet Zhu Yufu, imprisoned by the P.R.China for the peaceful exercise of his right to free expression;
- Expressing alarm at the crackdown on dissent in which writers, journalists and human rights defenders are amongst those to have been targeted;
- Reminding the Chinese authorities of their obligations under Article 35 of the Chinese constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which it is a state party.
His Excellency Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R. China
Please also send letters of appeal to the Chinese Embassy in London:
His Excellency Mr Liu Xiaoming
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
49-51 Portland Place,
London
W1B 1JL
Fax: 020 7636 2981
Email: [email protected]