Concern about health of detained writer who has been on hunger strike for 28 days

Reporters Without Borders is worried about the health of detained cyber-dissident and human rights activist Yang Maodong (also known by the pseudonym of Guo Feixiong), who had been on hunger strike since 13 December. “Yang must be freed,” the press freedom organisation said. “His prison conditions are unacceptable and we reiterate our call for the release of detained journalists and cyber-dissidents before the Beijing Olympic Games. His state of health is disturbing and the way the authorities are hounding his family is outrageous. This is the second hunger strike he has staged in the past year.” Yang's wife, Zhang Qing, wrote to the US president on 9 January asking him to raise her husband plight during his next meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao. After being allowed to visit Yang on 28 December, Zhang said: “He seemed a lot less well than before his transfer on 12 December. He has lost weight, he is pale, and he is determined to continue his hunger strike for 100 days.” Yang was beaten up by one of his fellow inmates on 18 December, five days after he was transferred to Meizhou prison in the eastern province of Guangdong. A writer and staunch human rights activist, Yang, 41, was arrested for “disturbing the peace” after organising a rally in the village of Taishi on 13 September 2006. The authorities claimed that he “personally led demonstrations by villagers with the aim of overthrowing the local officials.” He was sentenced in November 2007 to five years in prison and a fine of 40,000 yuan (4,000 euros). In order to begin collecting this sum, the authorities froze the couple's bank account on 18 December and withdrew 7,260 yuan. More on this case