China Aid Association
(Chengdu, Sichuan–May 14, 2013) Eleven human rights lawyers visiting one of China’s largest "black prisons" on Monday were taken into police custody and interrogated, with one lawyer sustaining serious injuries in the process.
Tang Jitian, Jiang Tianyong, Tang Tianhao, Liang Xiaojun, Lin Qilei, Zhang Keke, and Guo Haiyue were standing outside the Ziyang Legal Education Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province, when they were violently attacked and contact with them was lost. In the process, Tang Tianhao was seriously injured. Later, when Li Heping, Wang Chen, Yang Huiwen and Wen Haibo came to help, they were also taken into custody in the town of Yingjie.
(Photo: Jiang Tianyong at the entrance of the “black prison”)
According to these lawyers, the Ziyang Legal Education Center, located in Yanjiang district, is the largest "black prison" in Sichuan province. It looks from the outside like a vacation villa, but it actually is where evil legal classes are held. People can be kidnapped and put in these classes, where they are completely deprived of their personal freedoms, some for as long as five or six years. Some have even died of torture there, including Wu Wenhua and Li Huabin. This year at Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), more than 260 people were held here. This center is part of the government system and has a permanent business address. Over the years, large numbers of innocent people have been held here. Under the slogan of "the rule of law," it has operated at this location for decades. These 11 lawyers bravely entered the tiger’s den, and paid for it in blood and their freedom. The Ziyang Public Security Bureau detained these lawyers for "obstructing official business" — a typical illegal government act.
At 1 a.m. on Tuesday (May 14), three lawyers were released. The remaining eight lawyers were led away from the Ziyang police station one after the other. Li Heping was interrogated for "releasing false information," while the others were all interrogated for "obstruction of official business." They were all released at 11:40 a.m.
Address: Er’er Lake Legal Education Center, Yingjie Town, Yanjiang District, Ziyang City, Postal code 641300
Phone: 028-26741799,028-26332128
Director Xu Hongyan’s telephone: 028-26741031, cellphone: 13547291868
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