Case History
Zhang Jianhong was a freelance writer, playwright, poet, and member of Independent Chinese PEN Center. He was a leading writer in the region and was known for his dissident activities and prolific writings. He was also a regular contributor to the overseas Chinese sites Boxun and The Epoch Times.
Zhang was the editor-in-chief of Zhejiang Shaonian Zhuojia Bao (Zhejiang Children Writers News) for several months before he resigned to found a humanity and literature web site called Aiqinghai Net (Aegean Sea) and work as its editor-in-chief in August 2005. The web site soon became very popular among intellectuals in China but was closed by Zhejiang News and Communication authorities on March 9, 2006. He began writing and publishing his articles on various overseas Chinese web sites, including Boxun, Minzhu Luntan, Dajiyuan, Yi Bao, Guancha, and Minzhu Zhongguo until he was detained in September 2006.
According to Zhang’s wife, more than 20 police officers raided his home in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, on September 6, 2006. His computers were seized and his wife interrogated. On October 12, 2006, he was formally arrested and charged with “inciting subversion of state power” for his critical articles published on overseas web sites. On March 19, 2007, the Intermediate People’s Court of Ningbo City convicted Zhang of the charge and sentenced him to six years in prison and one year’s deprivation of political rights. The High People’s Court of Zhejiang Province upheld the sentence on May 21, 2007.