%0 Journal Article %1 AFP29October2007Cjd %A AFP, %D 29 October 2007 %J Agence France Presse %K Haftstrafe Pressefreiheit corruption imprisonment jail journalist %P 332 words %T Chinese journalist detained, beaten in jail: lawyer %X BEIJING, Oct 29, 2007 (AFP) - A Chinese journalist jailed since June in eastern China after reporting on local corruption has been beaten in jail by police interrogators, his lawyer said Monday. Qi Chonghuai said he was beaten repeatedly in August by police interrogating him on extortion charges that he has pleaded innocent to, his lawyer, Li Xiongbin, told AFP. "Police beat Qi on the face nearly 20 times," Li said. "They told him that they could beat him as much as they liked, and call it suicide if he died." Qi, a veteran journalist who once worked for the China Work Safety Production News, was arrested at his home in Tengzhou, Shandong province, in late June, but not formally charged until August 20, according to his wife, Jiao Xia. "The charges of extortion are unacceptable because he did nothing but write reports on corruption," Jiao, who has two children with Qi, told AFP. Before his arrest, Qi had posted on the Internet many sensitive articles on displaced peasants and environmental damage. Many of the essays were published on government-run websites, including the official Xinhua news agency's site, the lawyer said. Police at the Tengzhou detention centre refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Qi was originally detained with friend Ma Shiping for allegedly using false press credentials. Both are awaiting trial for extortion. The two had worked together in posting essays on the Internet exposing government corruption as well as China's crackdown on the Falungong spiritual group, it said. "Reports that Qi has been badly treated in custody are disturbing," said committee director Joel Simon in a statement. "Journalists should be entitled to fair treatment in the Chinese legal system." Although China's central government has strongly condemned corruption amongst its ranks, journalists and ordinary citizens who expose local graft often end up in jail. sai/kma/cc Document AFPR000020071029e3at002pk

@article{AFP29October2007Cjd, __markedentry = {[afeld]}, abstract = {BEIJING, Oct 29, 2007 (AFP) - A Chinese journalist jailed since June in eastern China after reporting on local corruption has been beaten in jail by police interrogators, his lawyer said Monday. Qi Chonghuai said he was beaten repeatedly in August by police interrogating him on extortion charges that he has pleaded innocent to, his lawyer, Li Xiongbin, told AFP. "Police beat Qi on the face nearly 20 times," Li said. "They told him that they could beat him as much as they liked, and call it suicide if he died." Qi, a veteran journalist who once worked for the China Work Safety Production News, was arrested at his home in Tengzhou, Shandong province, in late June, but not formally charged until August 20, according to his wife, Jiao Xia. "The charges of extortion are unacceptable because he did nothing but write reports on corruption," Jiao, who has two children with Qi, told AFP. Before his arrest, Qi had posted on the Internet many sensitive articles on displaced peasants and environmental damage. Many of the essays were published on government-run websites, including the official Xinhua news agency's site, the lawyer said. Police at the Tengzhou detention centre refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Qi was originally detained with friend Ma Shiping for allegedly using false press credentials. Both are awaiting trial for extortion. The two had worked together in posting essays on the Internet exposing government corruption as well as China's crackdown on the Falungong spiritual group, it said. "Reports that Qi has been badly treated in custody are disturbing," said committee director Joel Simon in a statement. "Journalists should be entitled to fair treatment in the Chinese legal system." Although China's central government has strongly condemned corruption amongst its ranks, journalists and ordinary citizens who expose local graft often end up in jail. sai/kma/cc Document AFPR000020071029e3at002pk}, added-at = {2008-06-01T16:51:41.000+0200}, author = {AFP}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/24cd8df3ee154b9666cb407c205711c91/acf}, description = {May08}, interhash = {25d4fc6e84d5bd790b9be23d4a44931b}, intrahash = {4cd8df3ee154b9666cb407c205711c91}, journal = {Agence France Presse }, keywords = {Haftstrafe Pressefreiheit corruption imprisonment jail journalist}, month = {6:48:46 AM GMT}, owner = {afeld}, pages = {332 words }, timestamp = {2008-06-01T16:51:41.000+0200}, title = {Chinese journalist detained, beaten in jail: lawyer }, year = {29 October 2007} }