12/08/95HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA PRESS RELEASE 8 December 1995 --
for immediate release
The Beijing Public Procuratorate has formally brought a suit against Wei Jingsheng and has announced that his trial will be held on December 13; concrete charges are still unknown.
Wei Shanshan, Wei Jingsheng's sister who lives in Germany, learned from her family in China that on December 1 the Beijing Intermediate Court presented a formal indictment to Wei Jingsheng. On December 3 the court notified Wei's sister Wei Ling of Wei's indictment and told her that her brother had entrusted her to find a lawyer. The court did not reveal the concrete contents of the indictment or let anyone in Wei's family see a copy.
All this week Wei's family has been scrambling to find legal representation for Wei. They have already contacted Zhang Sizhi, who defended Wang Juntao and Chen Ziming, but are still rushing to find other lawyers: clearly a case like Wei's requires a team of lawyers as well as adequate time to prepare a defense. The Judicial Department had told Wei's family earlier this week that the trial would not commence for 15 days or so, already far too little time to find counsel and prepare a defense. But today, December 8, Wei's family received formal notification that the trial would be held even earlier, on the 13th.
HRIC strongly protests the Chinese government's continuous illegal persecution of Wei Jingsheng and the flagrantly unfair way in which his trial is being handled. In the most recent blow, Wei's family is simply not being given enough time to prepare Wei's defense.
HRIC continues to call on the international community to demand Wei Jingsheng's immediate and unconditional release. If Wei is brought to trial next week, HRIC demands that Wei's trial be open as required by Chinese Criminal Law Code article 111, that Wei, who is still being held incommunicado, be allowed to meet with his family to prepare his defense, and that the prominent international lawyers who have already offered to help represent Wei be allowed to cooperate with Wei's Chinese lawyers in his defense.
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2) From: IFCSS HQ 12/08/95, Subject: HQ NR #7068 D E C E M B E R 10 t h - U N I T E D N A T I O N ' S
H U M A N R I G H T S D A Y
Chinese Government's Trial on Mr. Wei Jingsheng
Scheduled on December 13th
The IFCSS Headquarters was just informed by the Human Rights in China, based in New York City, that Chinese government will try Mr. Wei Jing- sheng on December 13th in Beijing. A formal indictment from Beijing Intermediate Court had been presented to Wei Jingsheng on December 1st, and on December 3rd, Wei Ling, Wei's sister, was notified by the court of Wei's indictment. The court didn't reveal the concrete con- tents of the indictment or let anyone in Wei's family see a copy.
Wei's family had been told by Judicial Department earlier this week that the trial would not start within 15 days. There has been already no time enough to find a counsel and prepare a defense. However, today on December 8th, Wei's family received a formal notification that the trial would be held even earlier, on the 13th, only five days left for the family to seek for a lawyer!
The IFCSS strongly denounced Chinese government's charge of Mr. Wei Jingsheng later in November, and protests the coming trial which doesn't follow the rules, and shows again how the Chinese government has improved their "respect" to human rights. The IFCSS urges the overseas Chinese students and scholars, by calling Chinese government, Ambassy or Consulates, to register your concern, indignation and protest.
A public rally is scheduled at 5:00 pm on next Tuesday (12th) in front of Chinese Ambassy in Washington D.C. The IFCSS strongly urges CSS and community members in D.C. or nearby areas, to participate in the rally which is sponsored by Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and several other Chinese groups. Please make a not, it is sch- eduled on December 12th (next Tuesday) at 5:00 pm. Feel free to contact IFCSS HQ if you have any question at: 202 347 0017. Thank you.
