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Hu Jia free after more than three years in prison
His wife Zeng Jinyan is afraid he might be placed under house arrest and forced into media silence. His release comes as Wen Jiabao arrives in Europe. In 2008, Hu Jia received the Sakharov Prize.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Hu Jia, one of China’s best-known human rights activists, was released after three years and half in prison.
Hu was convicted of “inciting subversion of the state” in 2008. The charges against him included interviews with foreign media, maintaining ties with activists and dissidents, and defending human right and religious freedom.
Hu Jia, 37, was reunited with his wife Zeng Jinyan and parents. In the past few years, Zeng supported her husband and often called for his release because of poor health. In a brief interview this morning, she said that her husband would not be able to speak with journalists for a long time because giving interviews at this stage "might cause problems".
It is likely that, after his release from prison, Hu will be placed under house arrest without the possibility of communicating with the outside world.
His fate might be like that of Ai Weiwei and Chen Guangcheng, two other major dissidents, who were freed from prison but forced into silence and house arrest. Chen was also beaten by police who guard him 24/24.
Hu’s liberation comes as Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao begins a visit to three European nations: Hungary, Great Britain and Germany.
In December 2008, the European Union had awarded Hu the Sakharov Prize for human rights.
Hu Jia, who converted to Buddhism in his 20s, was an environmentalist, praised also by official media.
Around 2000, he began to call for compensation for AIDS patients infected by blood transfusions at government health facilities. He also began defending human rights activists, going so far as to get into touch with many dissidents.