China Detains HIV Rights Advocate

Last Thursday, police detained human rights advocate Hu Jia at his home in Beijing. Authorities gave Hu's wife a warrant stating he was suspected of "incitement to subvert state power." Hu is known for advocating for care of HIV/AIDS patients despite China's past attempts to conceal the extent of its epidemic. Indicting and convicting Hu could generate negative publicity about China's human rights record before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hu and his wife, Zeng Jinyan, maintain a blog where he often writes about his encounters with state security officials. Recently, Hu has acted as a clearinghouse for information on lawyers, peasant protesters, and labor and human rights activists who have faced intimidation, beatings, or arrest.

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