Reporters Without Borders have once again urged the Chinese Government to release Zhang Jianhong who writes under the pseudonym Li Hong, so that he may be taken to a hospital and treated appropriately, he is suffering from muscular dystrophy and his health is in decline.
Li Jianqiang an Attorney representing Li Hong, received a letter in June from the authorities in which his client described his state of health. "...there is currently no effective medication or treatment. My health has worsened this last month and my muscles are atrophying. I can hardly move my arms anymore and this will extend to my legs. If it goes on, I will suffer the terrible experience of being completely paralyzed like the British Physicist Stephen Hawking."
Li was sentenced on the 19 March, 2007 to 6 years in prison by a Court in Zhejiang Province after he was convicted for writing articles defaming the Chinese government. On the 02 January, the Chinese government rejected the Internet Journalist second request to be released.
To maintain its grip on power, the Chinese government which has always controlled the news media has seen its influence erode due to the Internet. Victims of Internet censorship have been arrested and imprisoned by the Internet Police, as Chinese authorities have cracked down arresting more than 860 people last year. Human Rights groups have said that China is attempting to round up dissidents ahead of the Olympics.
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