Urgent Action 4-14-10

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

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http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa07710.pdf

12 April 2010

UA 77/10 - Health concern

CHINA Hu Jia (m)

Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia, imprisoned in Beijing, is gravely ill. He is not receiving adequate treatment in prison and has been denied parole on medical grounds. His life may be in danger if he does not receive the treatment he needs.

Hu Jia is serving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, imposed in 2008, for "inciting subversion". He was diagnosed with hepatitis B before he was imprisoned. On 12 April, a doctor at the Beijing City Prison Hospital, telephoned Hu Jia's mother and told her that the medical check found a benign tumor in his liver. The doctor explained that since it is curable, Hu Jia has been sent from the prison hospital back to his cell. His family has asked that the prison provide them with the full report produced after the medical examination, including the CT scan that Hu Jia's mother authorized, in order to confirm this diagnosis, but the prison authorities refused.

Hu Jia's family believes hat his condition may be more serious than the prison doctor has stated, and that he may have liver cancer. His wife, Zeng Jinyan, has documented his deteriorating health since his detention. Prison doctors detected a mass approximately 3cm in diameter in his abdomen. A previous prison hospital check-up found Hu Jia had gallstones, a protrusion in his liver and high blood pressure complications from chronic liver disease.

As they are concerned that he is not receiving adequate treatment in prison, Hu Jia's family is urgently requesting the prison grant him medical parole, as provided for in Chinese law. An earlier request for medical parole was rejected in 2009. Zeng Jinyan submitted another application for Hu Jia’s medical parole on 7 April 2010, which the authorities told her on 12 April they also rejected.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Hu Jia was detained on 27 December 2007 on suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power" under Article 105 of the Chinese Criminal Law and was held at the Beijing Municipal Police Detention Center, in Chaoyang district. He was tried on 18 March and 3 April 2008 at the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment for "inciting subversion" on 3 April 2008.

Prior to being imprisoned, Hu Jia had been diagnosed with hepatitis B, and had been taking medication to manage the disease. However, due to long term use, the medicine was no longer proving effective, and in January 2009 he stopped taking it altogether.

According to Chinese regulations concerning prisoners, Hu Jia qualifies for medical parole, as he has completed one-third of his prison sentence and the state of his health is of serious concern. However, requests from Hu Jia's family for him to be given a medical assessment and treatment outside the prison, and international calls for Hu Jia to be granted adequate health care were ignored by the prison authorities in 2008 and 2009.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
* Expressing grave concern that Hu Jia is not receiving adequate medical care;
* Urging the authorities to release Hu Jia's medical reports and test results to his family;
* Urging the authorities to grant Hu Jia medical parole so he can be examined by an independent doctor and receive adequate medical treatment.

APPEALS TO:

Director of Beijing Municipal Prison Management Bureau
Zheng Zhenyuan Juzhang
No.4 Lirenjie
Xuanwu district
Beijingshi, 100054
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Email: bj@bjjgj.gov.cn
Salutation: Dear Director

Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China
WU Aiying Buzhang
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Fax: 011 86 10 65292345
Email: pfmaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
Salutation: Dear Minister

COPIES TO:

Premier of the People's Republic of China
WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie
Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Fax: 011 86 10 65961109
(c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Ambassador Wen Zhong Zhou
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
3505 International Place NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 465-2190
Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 24 May 2010.

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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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