Xu Zhiyong met the lawyer for the first time during the complaint stage (2024.11.27)
On 26 November 2014, from 10:20 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Mr Xiao, the lawyer hired by Xu’s family, successfully met with Xu Zhiyong and had nearly two hours of conversation.
The details of the meeting are as follows:
1. The prison imposed strict rules on the lawyer’s meetings in advance, with the lawyer being required to cover only complaint-related content, and being warned or even having their meetings terminated for the rest of the conversation.
The prison stated that the lawyer was only allowed to complain about the case, and during meetings they were only allowed to talk about the facts of the case,the complaint, and other relevant issues. However, issues of concern to the outside world, such as Xu Zhiyong’s situation in prison, his hunger strike and his specific claims for the right to communicate, were not allowed to be discussed. If they touched on any of the above in conversation, they would be warned and the meeting would be terminated.
2. Through his observations at the interview site, Lawyer Xiao confirmed that Xu Zhiyong had ceased his hunger strike, but was not allowed to ask about the exact time of cessation.
Lawyer Xiao said that he had been observing Xu Zhiyong through the glass of the interview room, and that, based on his general experience, a stomach tube is required after a hunger strike, but Zhiyong he saw was not in a state where a stomach tube had been inserted, so he said that he was able to confirm that Xu Zhiyong had stopped his hunger strike. He could not tell or ask when he had stopped.
Lawyer Xiao reflected: Xu Zhiyong had a smooth conversation throughout and was very quick-witted. He was also very intelligent and responsive in the chat. Xu Zhiyong also said that it was a very good progress to be able to let him meet his lawyer. During the meeting, the two talked about the case complaint. Towards the end of the conversation, Xu Zhiyong tried to make a quick remark: ‘I hope my girlfriend can contact the lawyer more often.’ As soon as the word ‘girlfriend’ came out, the conversation was warned that this topic was not allowed to be covered.
3. Xu Zhiyong is still strong-willed and has no regrets about what he has done.
Lawyer Xiao concluded: Xu Zhiyong’s will remains strong, he actively advocates for the people of China to be a true citizen within the framework of the law, and he has no complaints or regrets about what he has done. He hopes that what he will see in the future will be a country that speaks of democracy, freedom and human rights, a country that is able to exercise its civil rights and a lovely China.
4.The Concern Group believes that the prison authorities have deliberately avoided the fundamental human rights issue by strictly restricting Xu Zhiyong’s ability to communicate the true situation regarding the hunger strike.
As far as the prison was able to control, any information related to the ‘hunger strike situation’, ‘requests for communication’, ‘rights in prison’, and ‘whether he has been ill-treated’, has become a matter of public policy. They tried to do everything possible to prevent Xu Zhiyong from transmitting to the outside world, through his lawyers, any information relating to his personal safety and basic rights.
5. Xu Zhiyong and his fiancée have not been able to secure their right to communicate with each other, and their communications continue to be illegally interrupted by the prison.
The Concern Group has learned from various sources that Xu Zhiyong and his fiancée wrote letters to each other from October to November, and that the letters sent by Li Qiaochu to Lunan Prison on 20 October and 14 November respectively were both shown to have been signed for, and that Xu Zhiyong received the letter of 20 October and immediately wrote a reply, but that he did not see the letter of 14 November. In addition, Li Qiaochu never received any letters from Xu Zhiyong in response to his letters in the past two months, indicating that Xu Zhiyong’s letters were withheld by the prison authorities and not sent. Therefore, Xu Zhiyong’s right to communicate, which he has been fighting for with a hunger strike, is not being guaranteed by the prison authorities.
The two are still working tirelessly on their respective communication rights, and they still need the continued attention and vocal support of the outside world.
Xiamen Gathering Case Support Group
27 November 2024
