Monday, March 9, 2015

China: Detained After Planning Women's Day Events - AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION

     Five young women activists have been detained in unknown locations in China after planning to hold events against sexual harassment to mark International Women’s Day. They have not had access to a lawyer and are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
     On 6 March at 4pm, Wei Tingting and Wang Man were taken to Haidian Police Station in Beijing. Around midnight the same day, Li Tingting (aka Li Maizi) and Zheng Churan (aka Da Tu) were taken away from their homes in Beijing and Guangzhou respectively. Wu Rongrong was detained upon her arrival at Hangzhou Airport on 7 March at 2pm. Later that day, a friend of Wu Rongrong received a call from her with cries of pain. The line was cut almost instantly and she could not be reached again. The authorities confiscated the women’s computers, phones, and materials for events they were planning to mark International Women’s Day. Police also raided Weizhiming Women Center office in Hangzhou, a women’s rights NGO that Wu Rongrong founded and where Zheng Churan and Li Tingting are staff. According to their lawyers, none of their families have received formal notice of their detention. 
Click here for entire URGENT ACTION information.
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