Mr. Zhang was detained on March 27, 2019 ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Plainclothes officers searched his car without a warrant, claiming he was suspected of "hiding guns." The police conducted a body search of Mr. Zhang, interrogated him twice outside the presence of an attorney, and later searched his home without a warrant and confiscated his phone. He has been in custody ever since, and was formally arrested on July 4, 2019 on contrived charges of " provoking trouble" and "promoting terrorism." Mr. Zhang has not been permitted any communication with his family, either by telephone or through in person visits. Since 2006, Mr. Zhang has engaged in human rights advocacy, specifically to promote democracy and the rule of law in China. He was a leader of the now-defunct New Citizens’ Movement, a decentralized civil rights movement which campaigned for democracy and government transparency. He has been subject to harassment and surveillance by Chinese authorities, including two previous arrests for his political activism. While in detention, Mr. Zhang is being held in poor conditions with overcrowding, lights on 24-hours, inhumane physical inspections, and food lacking in nutrients. In addition, Mr. Zhang is being denied sufficient medical care. Mr. Zhang has never been brought before a judge. On November 6, 2019, the procuratorate returned his case to the police for further investigation, apparently due to lack of evidence. The case is now back before the Beijing Second Procuratorate. |