Published by World Tibet Network News - Wednesday, December 13, 1995

From: zx11@cornell.edu (Zheng Xing)

IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW Suite 440 Washington, D.C. 20005

Tel: (202) 347-0017 Fax: (202) 347-0018

Washington, December 13, 1995 (IFCSS) -- The IFCSS Headquarters was informed by Wei Shanshan, Wei Jingsheng's sister, who is visiting Washington. D.C., that Wei Jingsheng was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Beijing First Intermediate Court.

The trial started in the morning on 13th, and continued for only 5 hours, prior to the verdict made by the court of 14 years sentence in prison. Wei was given one hour for defense, but he stopped several times during the defense due to hypertension and bad health conditon. The points of indictment include illegal collection of fund, communication with human rights organizations overseas, contact with foreign leaders and journalists for anti-government activities, and support for Tibet independence, etc. Wei refuted all the charges.

According to the source, Wei 's family in Beijing was harassed while talking with Wei Shanshan. When parents asked the policeman for rights to talk with their daughter, the policeman responded: "There is no law today!"

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A Press conference was convened on Capitol Hill with presence of Wei Shanshan, Wei Jingsheng's sister, which was heavily covered by news media, and all participatants were shocked by the message that the virdict had already come out. Xiao Qiang, Executive Director of the Human Rights in China based in New York, and Xing Zheng, the IFCSS President attended the conference. A dozen of US Congress members gave speeches while Wei Shanshan questioned what the international community could do for her brother. Congressman Smith cited Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China, 's sentence in 1986: "Did't we arrest Wei Jingsheng? We arrested him and haven't let him go, yet China's image has not suffered," and asserted that, yes, the sentence will definitely and severely tarnish and damage China's image, which may not be fixed forever". All Congress members vowed to urge the Adminstration to take immediate actions.

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The bill, sponsored by Smith and nine other Congress members, designated as H. Con. Res. 117. (posted before in IFCSS NR #67) to condamn Chinese government's trial on Wei Jingsheng, urge for immediate release and advocacy for Wei's Nobel Peace Prize 1996, reached the House floor last night, and the vote was conducted after the debates. The bill was officially adopted at 408 to 0, at 8:30 pm.

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A rally was held in front of Chinese Ambassy last night,sponsored by Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, AI and the IFCSS, to protest Chinese government's trial on Wei Jingsheng. The IFCSS President Xing Zheng expressed to a VOA reporter that, the Chinese government proves itself that it hasn't changed much in terms of human rights in China within the past 16 year. Wei Jingsheng was tried at the same court, with the same charges both in 1979 and 1995. It is a shame on Chinese, and it is a shame on China.

Chinese government should bear this in mind that, those who tried Wei Jingsheng today, will and must be tried by history, tomorrow or in near future.