 Dr.
Yang Jianli, a 43-year-old scholar and democracy activist, is internationally
renowned for his efforts to promote democracy in China. Born
a Chinese citizen, Yang has resided in the United States since 1986.
He holds doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of California
at Berkeley (1991) and in political economy and government from Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government (2001). Yang is the founder
and president of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, through
which he promotes the cause of democracy in China. Yang has been active
in the movement to promote democratization in China since the 1980s.
In 1989,
while a graduate student resident in the United States, Yang traveled
to China to provide support to Chinese students in Beijing then actively
involved in pro-democracy activism. The Chinese government responded
with force to the student demonstrations, as a result of which many
Chinese were injured and killed. In the aftermath of the Tiananmen
Square massacre, hundreds of protesters were arrested. Many,
such as Yang, were forced to flee the country.
Since
1989, Yang has continued to reside in the United States. It
is commonly known that Yang is one of approximately 50 expatriate
Chinese dissidents who have been "blacklisted" by the Chinese
government, as a consequence of which their return to China is forbidden.
The Chinese government has never formally acknowledged this blacklist.
Notwithstanding this informal prohibition, Yang entered China on April
19, 2002 and was detained by Chinese authorities shortly thereafter.
He was released on April 27, 2007.
Freedom
Now was retained by Christina Xiang Fu, Dr. Yang's wife, to represent
Dr. Yang. Board member Jared Genser advised Mrs. Fu about the
legal, political, and public relations aspects of the case. Initially
after Dr. Yang's detention, over 50 Members of Congress, Former Archbishop
of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, former Harvard University President Lawrence
Summers, and 34 Faculty of Harvard University wrote to the Chinese
government to express concern about Dr. Yang's ongoing imprisonment.
Subsequently,
on December 9, 2002, Freedom Now submitted a Petition
to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights' Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention on Dr. Yang's behalf alleging that his ongoing
incommunicado detention violates fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed
to Dr. Yang under international law.
On April 24, 2003,
Freedom Now hosted a candlelight vigil
in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington to commemorate the
one year Dr. Yang had spent in detention. Congressman Barney
Frank (D-MA) joined Dr. Yang's wife Christina and their children Anita
and Aaron at this moving event.
Christina Fu, Dr. Yang's wife Rep.
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Shortly
thereafter, the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued Opinion
No. 2/2003 on June 4, 2003, finding Dr. Yang Jianli was being
held in violation of international law. In response to this
decision, Freedom Now organized a press conference on Capitol Hill
calling for Yang Jianli's release.
From
L to R, Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA), Jared Genser (Freedom Now), Rep. Barney
Frank (D-MA), and Rep. Michael Capuano (D-CA). See
U.N. Committee Blasts Activist's Jailing, Associated
Press, By Lolita C. Baldor, June 4, 2003.
On June
25, 2003, after a vigorous debate
the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed on a roll call
vote of 412-0, H.Res. 199 calling for
Dr. Yang Jianli's release. On July 15, Yang Jianli's 40th birthday,
his wife and children attempted to deliver
a birthday card to the Chinese Embassy. Sadly, the Embassy
refused to open the door. A short time later, on July 29, 2003,
the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S.Res.
184 calling for Dr. Yang Jianli's release. Dr.
Yang Jianli was put on trial on August 4, 2003.
On
March 12, 2004, Yang Jianli's family filed a Petition
(Chinese Version)
to the National People's Congress protesting the illegally prolonged
detention of Yang Jianli. See, e.g., Family
of Democracy Activist Imprisoned in China Petitions for His Freedom,
by Ted Anthony, Associated Press, March 13, 2004.
On
April 20-21, 2004, news reports of Dr. Yang's mistreatment in prison
were published by Associated
Press , Agence France Presse , and Reuters.
Shortly thereafter,
on April 26, 2004, Rep. Christopher Cox (R-CA), Rep. Barney Frank
(D-MA), and Christina Fu held a press
conference calling for Yang Jianli's release on the two-year
anniversary of his detention. Reporters
Without Borders have joined the call
for Yang Jianli's release.
From
L to R, Jared Genser (Freedom Now), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep.
Chris Cox (R-CA).
On May
5, 2004, Jared Genser testified
and answered questions on Yang Jianli's
case during a hearing on China's human rights abuses in the Canadian
Parliament before the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International
Development of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Trade.
On
May 13, 2004, after being held in an illegally prolonged detention
for five months beyond the deadline for the court to issue a judgment,
the PRC announced a guilty verdict and sentenced Yang Jianli to five
years in prison for espionage and illegal entry. Within 12 hours,
Rep. Christopher Cox (R-CA), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), and Christina
Fu held a press
conference reaffirming the call for Yang Jianli's release.
The story was widely covered
by the news outlets around the world.
As
Yang Jianli approached the mid-point in his sentence, 21 U.S. Senators,
85 Members of Congress, and 63 Harvard faculty urged the Chinese President
to grant him parole. See, e.g., U.S.
Lawmakers Petition Chinese Leader to Grant Dissident Parole, Agence
France Press, October 6, 2004.
On January
19, 2005, Freedom Now hosted a press conference with Rep. Chris Cox
(R-CA), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), and Christina Fu to commemorate
Yang Jianli's 1000th day in detention and to urge his medical parole.
See U.S. Lawmakers Demand
China Grant Dissident Medical Parole, Agence France Presse.
Subsequently,
as described below, a bipartisan group of 40 U.S. Senators and 119
Members of Congress called for Dr. Yang's release. Dr. Yang
was finally released on April 27, 2007.
Additional
information about Dr. Yang can also be obtained by visiting his website
[www.yangjianli.com].
Letters
Written on Dr. Yang Jianli's Behalf
| Date |
Writers |
Recepient |
| April
10, 2006 |
119 Members of Congress (e.g., Hyde, Lantos,
Pelosi, Frank, C. Smith, and Capuano) |
President George W. Bush |
| June 15, 2005 |
40 U.S. Senators (e.g., Kyl, Mikulski, Clinton,
McCain, Kennedy) |
President Hu Jintao |
| October 13, 2004
|
Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers |
President Hu Jintao |
| October 7,
2004 |
63 Harvard University faculty |
President Hu Jintao |
| October 6, 2004 |
21 U.S. Senators (e.g., Daschle, Kyl, Mikulski,
McCain, Kennedy) |
President Hu Jintao |
| October
6, 2004 |
85 Members of Congress (e.g., Pelosi, Hyde,
Cox, Frank, Lantos, Smith) |
President Hu Jintao |
| April
26, 2004 |
67 Members of Congress (e.g., Pelosi, Hyde,
Cox, Frank, Lantos, Smith) |
President Hu Jintao |
| December
10, 2003 |
78 Harvard faculty (Kennedy and Medical Schools) |
Premier Wen Jiabao |
| December
8, 2003 |
29 Harvard Law School faculty |
Premier Wen Jiabao |
| December
5, 2003 |
32 Members of Congress (e.g., Cox, Frank,
Pelosi, Hyde, Lantos) |
Premier Wen Jiabao |
| December
5, 2003 |
8 U.S. Senators (e.g., Kennedy, Kyl, Kerry,
McCain) |
President George W. Bush |
| October
16, 2003 |
36 members of Congress (e.g., Cox, Frank,
Wolf, Capuano) |
President George W. Bush |
| June
10-12, 2003 |
Martin Callanan MEP (UK), Roger Helmer MEP
(UK), and Lennart Sacredeus MEP (Sweden) |
President Hu Jintao |
| March
12, 2003 |
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) |
Chairman Louis Joinet at U.N.
Working Group |
| March
6, 2003 |
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice |
Christina Fu |
| February 24,
2003 |
Albert Santoli, President, American Foreign
Council, Asia-Pacific Initiative |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| February 21,
2003 |
Senators Kennedy/Kerry, 9 Members of Congress
including Cox, Frank, Pelosi, Smith |
Former Vice President Hu Jintao |
| December 30,
2002 |
Congressman Michael Capuano (D-MA) |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| December 16,
2002 |
Professor Haiden Huscamp, Harvard Medical
School |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| December 11,
2002 |
Congressmen Cox, Capuano, Frank, Smith |
Asst. Sec. Lorne Craner |
| December 2,
2002 |
Tom Ferrick, Humanist Chaplain, Harvard University |
Asst. Sec. Lorne Craner |
| November 20,
2002 |
Professor William Alford, Harvard Law School
|
Asst. Sec. Lorne Craner |
| November 15,
2002 |
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) |
Aaron & Anita Yang |
| October 21,
2002 |
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) |
President Jiang
Zemin |
| October 19,
2002 |
President Lawrence Summers, Harvard University |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| October 10,
2002 |
Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, Episcopal Diocese
of Massachusetts |
President George W. Bush |
| October 1,
2002 |
Clergy of All Saints Parish, Brookline, MA
|
Bishop Griswold |
| September
27, 2002 |
Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl, University
of California at Berkeley |
U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt |
| September
20, 2002 |
Congressman Chris Cox (R-CA) |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| September
19, 2002 |
26 Members of Congress including, e.g., Cox,
Frank, Hyde, Lantos, Pelosi, Wolf |
President Jiang Zemin |
| September
16, 2002 |
2 Senators (Kerry, Gregg) and 12 Members
of Congress, e.g. Frank, Lantos, Ros-Lehtinen and Wolf |
Secretary of State Colin Powell |
| September
16, 2002 |
34 Faculty of Harvard University |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| September
9, 2002 |
Massachusetts Congressional Delegation |
Secretary of State Colin Powell |
| August 23,
2002 |
Congressman Chris Cox (R-CA) |
Dep. Sec. Armitage |
| August 13,
2002 |
Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) and Senator Joe
Biden (D-DE) |
President Jiang Zemin |
| June 28, 2002 |
Massachusetts Congressional Delegation |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| June 27, 2002 |
Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| May 22, 2002 |
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
| May 14, 2002
|
Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) |
Asst. Sec. Craner |
| May 14, 2002 |
Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) |
Ambassador Randt |
| May 8, 2002 |
Congressmen Frank, Lantos, Smith, Wolf |
Ambassador Yang Jiechi |
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