Chinese Pastor Zhang Shaojie, who on 4 July was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 100,000 RMB (approximately 9,400) for fraud and gathering a crowd to disturb public order, has lost his appeal.
On 21 August Li Fangping, one of Zhang’s lawyers, received a phone call from the presiding judge, informing him that Puyang Intermediate Court was upholding the original ruling.
Lawyer Li had previously requested that the appeal trial be handled by another court, following accusations that Puyang Intermediate Court had mishandled the first trial. According to China Aid, Li’s request was ignored and the appeal trial was conducted by Puyang Intermediate Court without the knowledge or presence of Zhang’s lawyers.
Zhang Shaojie was the pastor of Nanle County Christian Church in Henan, which belongs to the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. In November and December 2013 Pastor Zhang and over 20 others were detained without formal documentation after a group of church members attempted to petition a higher authority about a land dispute involving the church.
Lawyers representing the detainees were harassed and intimidated by 'hired thugs', and were repeatedly denied access to their clients. Lawyer Chang Boyang, who defended Pastor Zhang’s sister Zhang Cujian, was summoned by the police for “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” on 27 May. In July, his family was informed that the charge had been changed to “suspicion of illegal commercial activities”. It is believed that Chang has been detained in connection with his defence of disadvantaged groups including Christians, migrant workers, and Tibetans. He has had no access to his lawyers and remains in detention.
CSW’s Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, said: “We are very disappointed to hear that Pastor Zhang has lost his appeal. Zhang’s lawyers have repeatedly pointed out significant concerns about the handling of the case by the court and the authorities. The fact that their concerns were ignored, and that the appeal trial took place without their knowledge, suggest a complete lack of respect for the work of lawyers who defend religious minorities and other “sensitive” cases. The treatment of recently released lawyer Gao Zhisheng and the detention of Chang Boyang are indicative of this endemic problem. We urge the Chinese authorities to uphold the rule of law in China, to release lawyer Chang and other lawyers detained on spurious charges, and to investigate thoroughly and impartially the handling of the case of Pastor Zhang Shaojie, with a view to securing his release.”