Further information: China: Fears grow for women's rights activist
The husband and brother of detained women’s rights activist Su Changlan have been released on bail. Su Changlan remains behind bars, and has now been detained for over four months without having access to a lawyer.
Further information of UA: 275/14 Index: ASA 17/1252/2015 China Date: 19 March 2015
URGENT ACTION
FEARS GROW FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST
The husband and brother of detained women’s rights activist Su Changlan have been
released on bail. Su Changlan remains behind bars, and has now been detained for over
four months without having access to a lawyer.
Chen Dequan, the husband of Su Changlan, was released on bail on 11 March, and her brother Su Shangwei on
16 March. They were detained on 14 February after going to the Foshan City Public Security Bureau, Guangdong
province, to submit an application for permission to visit Su Changlan. While outside the bureau, Su Shangwei held
a placard reading ‘Su Changlan is innocent’.
Well-known women’s rights activist Su Changlan was taken away from her home by police on 27 October 2014.
She has been formally arrested for ‘inciting subversion of state power’, a charge which could lead to life
imprisonment. It is believed the charges against her are as a result of posts she made online in support of the pro-
democracy protests in Hong Kong. Su Changlan’s lawyers have made several requests to visit her since her
detention, but they have all been rejected.
Su Changlan’s friend, Chen Qitang (also known as Tian Li), who had been providing legal assistance and
petitioned for her release, was detained on 25 November and formally arrested on 31 December for ‘inciting
subversion of state power’. He has been detained in Nanhai District Detention Centre and has not had access to
his lawyers.
Please write immediately in Chinese, English or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Su Changlan and Chen Qitang:
Urging the authorities to ensure that pending their release, they all have regular, unrestricted access to their
lawyers and families as well as any medical attention they may require, and are protected from torture and other ill-
treatment.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 29 APRIL 2015 TO:
Director
Jiang Kaixin
Foshan City Public Security Bureau
No. 8 Lingnan Dadaobei, Shanchengqu
Foshan City, Guangdong Province
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Director
Director
Nanhai District Detention Centre
Shishan Zhaoda Management Zone
Foshan City
Guangdong Province
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Director
Director
Li Chunsheng
Guangdong Provincial Public Security
Department
No. 97 Huanghualu
Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province
People's Republic of China
Email: xf@gdga.gov.cn,
info@gdga.gov.cn
Salutation: Dear Director
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the fourth update of UA 275/14. Further information:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/1053/2015/en/
URGENT ACTION
FEARS GROW FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Su Changlan is a well-known activist in southern China, who has been detained several times previously due to her peaceful
activities defending women’s rights, on issues including family planning and domestic violence. The current charges against her
are believed to be as a result of posts she made online in support of the prodemocracy protests in Hong Kong. She was
questioned by police in Nanhai, Foshan, central Guangdong province, on two occasions in September in 2014, and according to
friends the police warned her not to continue posting material about the protests. However, after making further comments
about the protests on social media, she was taken away from her home by police on 27 October. It was not confirmed where
she was being held until her family received a notice of the charges against her on 3 December, which stated that she is
detained at Nanhai District Detention Centre.
Approximately 100 people were detained in mainland China after the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong began in
September 2014, for activities such as expressing their support on social media, shaving their heads in solidarity with the
demonstrators, or planning to travel to Hong Kong to join the protests. At least twenty-seven remained in detention as o 19
March 2015. Among others, several poets and artists from Songzhuang, an artist community in Beijing, were detained for
showing their support for the protests. This was part of a wider attempt by the Chinese authorities to silence any discussion or
display of support for the events in Hong Kong. The popular photo-sharing platform Instagram was blocked, government
censors attempted to remove all positive mentions of the pro-democracy protests online, while forcing newspapers and TV
stations to only use the state-sponsored narrative of the protests.
Name: Su Changlan (f), Chen Qitang (m), Chen Dequan (m), Su Shangwei (m)
Gender m/f: Both
Further information on UA: 275/14 Index: ASA 17/1252/2015 Issue Date: 19 March 2015