Senators Urge China To Release Detained Political Prisoners

Press Release

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, Barbara Boxer (D-CA), ranking member of the subcommittee, Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today called on China to release all political prisoners detained for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental rights.

In a letter to Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai, the senators highlighted the cases of five women's rights activists who were detained March 6 and 7 on charges of creating a disturbance by planning to raise public awareness about sexual harassment in conjunction with International Women's Day on March 8, and urged their immediate and unconditional release. The senators also urged the release of 2010 Noble Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo and human rights attorneys Pu Zhiqiang and Xu Zhiyong.

"According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, citizens "enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration' and the state "respects and preserves human rights,'" the senators wrote. "The ongoing detention of these female activists who have championed gender equality and women's rights calls into question China's commitment to these principles."

"Therefore, we respectfully request that the Chinese government immediately and unconditionally release these five female activists and that while in detention, authorities take all measures to guarantee their welfare and security, including access to adequate medical treatment and regular and unrestricted access to their lawyers, family, and friends,'" the senators added.