Shi Weihan, father of 7-year-old American girl, Allowed Legal Visitation for First Time Since Detention

China Aid Association
CAA has learned brother Shi Weihan, who was arrested in November on charges of illegal printing of religious material, was visited by his lawyer for the first time on Dec 14 at his detention center.  Under enormous international pressure, prison doctors have started to deliver medicine on a daily basis to treat Shi’s diabetes. Since his detention he has shared the Gospel with over 20 prisoners.
After employing a lawyer to assist in defending Mr. Shi, the family was finally informed of his detention although there is still no indication of what the charges against him will be. The notice, which is legally required within 24 hours of a detention, was not provided until the 12th day of his detention. In addition, Chinese law requires that he be charged or released within 7 days of his arrest. The 7-day period prescribed in Chinese law has now been exceeded by 9 nine days.
The reason for the delay was apparently to hide the harsh conditions in which Shi has been subjected to during interrogation. The family learned that Shi was being kept in a cell with no heat. He was not issued any clothing by the prison. When the family went to inquire about this, they were told that they were the ones neglecting his need for clothing since they had not delivered any for him. In fact, the police had not revealed his whereabouts, nor given any idea that the family would be allowed to provide clothing for him. Shi is also being subjected to sleep deprivation, a common means used by the PSB to break people down and get them to reveal information about others or to extract confessions from prisoners under duress.
Shi Weihan is being held at:
Beijing City, Haidian District, Qinghe Detention Center
Qinghe Detention Center of the Haidian Sub-Bureau
Address: 2585, Longgang Road, Qinghe Town, Haidian District.

The official who has authority to grant house arrest conditions to Mr. Shi Weihan is:
Captain Li Xueming
Branch Bureau Chief
Beijing Public Security Bureau
Haidian District Substation

The family continues to be denied requests to see Shi, although Chinese law requires that family members be given access to see those being held in detention, except in cases where an investigation is ongoing. Even then the maximum period during which access to prisoners can be denied is 7 days.
Letters that Shi’s family wrote to him and delivered to the police have not been answered nor returned, including letters from his small daughters. The two girls (Lily, 11 and Grace, 7) are reportedly inconsolable over their worry about their father’s well being. Shi’s wife, Zhang Jing asks Christians all over the world to pray especially for them. The girls are both frightened for their safety and ashamed that their father is in prison. Grace is said to cringe and hide whenever she sees any police. Lily, normally extremely outgoing, will not look anyone in the eye.
Mrs. Zhang constantly reminds her daughters that their father is in prison for having done good things that the Chinese government continues to label as illegal. She worries over the long term affects this ordeal will have on the young girls’ emotional and psychological health.
Any small gifts or cards you would like to have carried to them should be forwarded by December 29th to:
Ray Sharpe
1757 Fairmont Dr.
Corona, CA 92882

Arrangements will be made to have them delivered to the family in China.
Click here to view a USA Today article about Shi:http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-12-13-china-bible_N.htm <http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-12-13-china-bible_N.htm>


China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected] 
Website: www.chinaaid.org

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Shi Weihan, father of 7-year-old American girl, Allowed Legal Visitation for First Time Since Detention

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