A photograph is not secession. Peaceful expression is not a national-security crime.
Wuhan rights activist Zhang Yi remains detained in Lhasa on suspicion of ‘inciting secession.’ Amnesty International says his detention followed an incident in which he showed another person a photograph of the Dalai Lama on his phone at Sera Monastery.
A September 11 update circulated by rights advocate Jane Wang says a lawyer has now met Zhang, that the investigation continues, and that he has experienced health problems in detention. Those fresh health details remain attributed pending independent confirmation.
Free China Movement calls for Zhang Yi’s immediate release unless authorities can present credible evidence of conduct that genuinely meets the threshold of a serious national-security offense.
Showing an image, remembering history or holding a political view must not be treated as proof of separatism.
Authorities should guarantee Zhang unrestricted access to counsel, appropriate medical care, family contact and protection from ill-treatment.
Read the News: Zhang Yi Case Update
Read the Editorial: When a Photograph Becomes ‘Secession,’ the Law Has Lost Proportion