New York, August 30, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists
welcomes the release of Cheng Yizhong, editor-in-chief of Nanfang Dushi
Bao (Southern Metropolis News), who was freed on August 27 after more
than five months in detention. His colleagues, Nanfang Dushi Bao
Deputy Editor-in-Chief and General Manager Yu Huafeng and former editor
Li Minying, remain imprisoned.
"Cheng Yizhong was clearly targeted for his paper's brave and aggressive
reporting, and his release ends a terrible injustice against him," said
CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. "However, we remain deeply concerned
about the continued imprisonment of Yu Huafeng and Li Minying, and we
call for their immediate and unconditional release."
Cheng appears to be in good health and has returned home, according to
CPJ sources and international news reports. It is unclear whether he will
be allowed to return to work. Some sources have suggested that Cheng may
be under house arrest, but CPJ has been unable to confirm this information.
On March 19, Guangdong Province security agents arrested Cheng while he
was visiting Sichuan Province. At the time of his arrest, authorities
searched his home and confiscated a number of books and publications about
Chinese politics.
The same day, the Dongshan District Court in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province,
sentenced Yu to 12 years in prison on corruption charges. Li Minying was
sentenced to 11 years for bribery in a related case. Li also served on
the Communist Party Committee of the Nanfang Daily Group, the newspaper's
parent company.
In an appeal trial held on June 7, 2004, Li's sentence was reduced to
six years in prison, while Yu's sentence was reduced to eight years.
Editors targeted for tough reporting
Under Cheng's leadership, Nanfang Dushi Bao has become very
popular in recent years for its aggressive investigative reporting. CPJ
believes that authorities have targeted the paper for coverage that showed
local officials in a negative light. Specifically, the paper broke news
that young graphic designer Sun Zhigang was beaten to death in March 2003
while being held in police custody in Guangzhou. Public outcry over Sun's
death led to the arrest of several local government and police officials.
In December 2003, Nanfang Dushi Bao reported a suspected SARS case
in Guangzhou, the first new case in China since the epidemic died out
in July 2003. The government had not yet publicly released information
about the case when the newspaper's report was published. On January 6,
2004, security officials detained Cheng for eight hours and questioned
him about financial irregularities at the paper. The reporter who covered
the SARS case was also put "under investigation." Yu and Li were arrested
the following week. Since then, reporters at the paper have been under
heightened surveillance and warned against talking to the foreign press.
In a statement released on August 27, Cheng's lawyer Xu Zhiyong acknowledged
the support of scholars, journalists, and retired officials in advocating
for the editor's release. He condemned the unjust sentence of Yu Huafeng,
also his client, and denounced officials who manufacture unjust cases
that "suppress freedom of expression."
China is the world's leading jailer of journalists, with 43 behind bars.
For more information about the press freedom situation in China, see a
special report released by CPJ on August 24.
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