Chinese rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, who was sentenced to four years in prison for inciting subversion of state power, was allowed to meet with his wife Xu Yan by video for the first time in three years. Xu Yan relayed how the meeting went and how Yu Wensheng was doing, and shared with reporters her joy at seeing her husband.
Reporter: You have been denied many visits before, but finally you were able to meet by video for three years, what was your feeling when you learned the news?
Xu Yan: When the detention center first agreed, I was surprised because almost all legal rights had been denied for three years, and the meeting was a normal legal procedure, but it seemed very unexpected or special. However, when I was promised to see him at 2:30, I was very happy outside and put on makeup and smiled happily.
When I really saw him, I heard the police say that it was only 20 minutes, so I couldn’t care about crying at that time, because I couldn’t shed tears, and I didn’t have time to shed tears, because I was worried that I wouldn’t be allowed to see him next time.
Reporter: On the video, does lawyer Yu Wensheng look good? Before you have mentioned the right hand trembling and toothache, how is his physical condition now?
Xu Yan: (Yu Wensheng) sitting on the interrogation chair, wearing the uniform clothing of the detention center, wearing a mask, hair is now no, (detention center) to him shaved, very obvious handcuffs handcuffed in that, I saw.
(I) just very hard to feel, because his current appearance and his previous image as a lawyer is very big contrast …… because he used to be a lawyer every time he focused on image, every time he went out to do business in a suit and tie, belong to this image, (now see him) makes me feel sad, heartbroken him.
He should not have been imprisoned and had to suffer all these crimes, handcuffed …… originally an innocent person is now treated like this, anyway, I can not accept it, but there is nothing I can do.
This time I verified the condition of his right hand again, still trembling and unable to write, so I also asked the Chinese government to give immediate treatment to his right hand, which has met the condition of bail pending trial. On the other hand he said his teeth were pulled three times because of pain, and I asked him if he had any more teeth put in, and he said no. I (told him) that you have to ask the Chinese judiciary to give you teeth and I will also help you defend your rights outside.
Whether the Chinese officials will give him teeth or not, I am not sure now, but I will definitely go to advocate and ask them (the government) to treat lawyer Yu Wensheng according to the law and humanely.
Reporter: His lawyer, Lu Si-bit, has also been targeted by the authorities recently, and you also went to Sichuan two days ago to show solidarity.
Xu Yan: I also told him about the hearing of the revocation of the lawyer’s license of his second trial defense lawyer, Lu Siwei.
Reporter: Apart from the right hand and dental problems, did Mr. Yu reveal to you the situation inside the detention center?
Xu Yan: Now he hopes to solve a problem is no porridge to drink in the morning, at the beginning is only cold water, recently the day is cold can drink warm water, but no porridge to drink. Morning let these people in custody to drink cold water, so cold days to drink cold water normal people’s bodies can not stand, not to mention the long detention of people are relatively weak, drinking cold water certainly can not stand. This is very easy to cook some porridge in the morning, is also a very basic humane treatment.
Reporter: At the end of last year, the second trial of Yu’s case was upheld, did you two talk about this part? You mentioned before that you couldn’t know which prison Yu was assigned to, do you have any new information now?
Xu Yan: The previous three years have been in the detention center, after the second trial to uphold the original verdict to transfer to the prison to serve the sentence, so now involves the issue of which prison to be assigned. I, the defense attorney, hope and request that the Chinese government transfer him back to the prison in Beijing, where he is domiciled.
So when I met with Yu Wensheng, I asked him if he knew which prison he would be transferred to, and he didn’t know, but he also asked to be transferred back to the Beijing prison. I said that I was also asking for your transfer back to Beijing prison, and that many people were concerned about it, asking the Chinese government to transfer you back in a lawful and humane way.
The main two points are the place of domicile and the benefit of family visits. You gave him a place 1,600 miles away in Xuzhou, and I had to travel thousands of kilometers for 20 minutes (for visits), which is a huge cost for my rights. I have been running around so hard, and my body is sick in many places. This practice is too cruel to suppress the family.
Reporter: Did the video meeting give you both a lot of encouragement? Did you say anything emotional?
Xu Yan: (He is still concerned about me), or say ‘wife love you’ also have, I also stressed love him, wait for him and so on, said some very firm words, these I think is a great inspiration to him, at the end of the day I see him are smiling, we use the hand than the heart and flying kisses when both smiled.
Reporter: Thank you for the interview with the station.
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