Village official lodges appeal despite his early release
Source: Xinhua |
November 29, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A VILLAGE official in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has appealed against a two-year sentence of re-education through labor despite being released after little more than a year of his term in a labor camp.
The appeal came nine days after Ren Jianyu, an official in Pengshui County, was freed and eight days after a local court dismissed his father's appeal on his behalf against the imprisonment.
Ren, 25, was arrested on August 17, 2011 after forwarding and commenting on more than 100 pieces of "negative information" and given a two-year term in a labor camp for "incitement to subvert state power" without a court process a month later.
Chongqing's re-education through labor committee reviewed the imprisonment, however, and freed Ren on November 19, saying the punishment was "improper."
A day later, the Chongqing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court rejected his father's appeal filed in August this year, saying "the appeal should have come within three months after the re-education term was given."
Ren, however, said the time limit set for appeals had not been exceeded and the court should rule that his two-year sentence was illegal.
"I will continue to appeal for my innocence and social justice," Ren said.
He is also to plead for compensation and resumption of his civil servant status.
"Now whenever I talk with people, I feel terrified and hope to finish the conversation sooner," he said. "This is the bigger harm re-education through labor has brought to me.
"I was scared at the moment when I was arrested. Meanwhile, I felt it ridiculous and unbelievable. Have I subverted state power just because I forwarded a couple of microblog postings? Millions of netizens express their own viewpoints online and should they all be imprisoned in labor camps?" Ren asked.
He lashed out at the re-education through labor system.
"The system is against the rule of law and is too arbitrary," he said. "The re-education through labor committee can independently deprive people of their personal freedom and there are no specific rules on how long the freedom can be denied. This kind of law enforcement is too horrible."
The appeal came nine days after Ren Jianyu, an official in Pengshui County, was freed and eight days after a local court dismissed his father's appeal on his behalf against the imprisonment.
Ren, 25, was arrested on August 17, 2011 after forwarding and commenting on more than 100 pieces of "negative information" and given a two-year term in a labor camp for "incitement to subvert state power" without a court process a month later.
Chongqing's re-education through labor committee reviewed the imprisonment, however, and freed Ren on November 19, saying the punishment was "improper."
A day later, the Chongqing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court rejected his father's appeal filed in August this year, saying "the appeal should have come within three months after the re-education term was given."
Ren, however, said the time limit set for appeals had not been exceeded and the court should rule that his two-year sentence was illegal.
"I will continue to appeal for my innocence and social justice," Ren said.
He is also to plead for compensation and resumption of his civil servant status.
"Now whenever I talk with people, I feel terrified and hope to finish the conversation sooner," he said. "This is the bigger harm re-education through labor has brought to me.
"I was scared at the moment when I was arrested. Meanwhile, I felt it ridiculous and unbelievable. Have I subverted state power just because I forwarded a couple of microblog postings? Millions of netizens express their own viewpoints online and should they all be imprisoned in labor camps?" Ren asked.
He lashed out at the re-education through labor system.
"The system is against the rule of law and is too arbitrary," he said. "The re-education through labor committee can independently deprive people of their personal freedom and there are no specific rules on how long the freedom can be denied. This kind of law enforcement is too horrible."
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