Zhao Yan

Zhao Yan is a Chinese journalist.

He was collaborator of the Chinese office of the NewYork Times when in September 2004 he makes share in an article of the possible resignation of Jiang Zemin of his post of head of the armies. Before working for the foreign press, it was already known to have worked in various Chinese newspapers for which it inquired into the abuses undergone by the peasants in the campaigns.

Decree on September 17th, 2004 and shown disclosure of secrecies of State, it risked the capital punishment, but its case caused the reactions of the international community. Its lawsuit took place on June 16th, 2006, behind closed doors and without the witnesses being able to express themselves and without the lawyers not being able to deliver their opinion on the procedure. Finally, the court of Beijing condemned it in August 2006 to three years of prison for fraud.

In fact the Chinese authorities are embarrassed by this business known today apart from the borders of the country more especially as the Olympic Games must be held in China in 2008 and that this kind of businesses are likely to weigh on the commercial relations with the other countries. This judgment enables them “to save the face” and to release the journalist as of September 2007 without really clearing it.

In 2005, Zhao Yan received the price “Reporters without borders - Fondation of France”.

External bonds

Reporters without borders, article 11468
Reporters without borders, article 18662

Random links: