Bob Fu, who is the head of Release partner China Aid, is visiting Europe to talk about the situation for Christians in China following the recent clampdown on human rights lawyers.

 

Mr Fu was one of the leaders of the Beijing student democracy movement, stamped out by the Chinese military in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

 

He became a pastor in the underground house church movement, and was soon arrested, along with his wife Heidi. They were jailed for two months.

 

They were eventually driven out of China by persecution and settled in Texas, where Mr Fu founded the China Aid Association to campaign for religious freedom. He has been a leading advocate on behalf of the persecuted church in the US and the UN and is a long-term partner of the UK-based Release International.

 

Mr Fu will be speaking about the moves by the Chinese authorities to intimidate and silence human rights lawyers. These include Jiang Tianyong who was abducted by the authorities for two months and brutally treated. This week he described his detention to the South China Morning Post, which reported:

 

‘A combination of physical and mental abuse, relentless brainwashing and threats kept rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong silent after his release from two months' detention.’

 

Follow this link to the story: http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=e3dadde177362310VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News

 

Jiang Tianyong was interviewed by Release shortly before his abduction, and predicted his imminent arrest. His story is told in the Release DVD Forbidden City, available from the Release International website. A clip can be seen here:

 

To view a press conference given by Bob Fu on China last year, please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/downloads/video.php The conference report is the lead item on that page. Audio is in broadcast quality and can be rebroadcast, providing acknowledgement is given to Release International.

 

And for a more detailed biography of Bob Fu, please follow this link: http://chinaaidtemp.29.ncol.ca/qry/page.taf?id=20

 

Mr Fu will be available for interview on September 29 between 1 and 3.45pm. He will be based in Cranleigh, Surrey. To arrange to interview Mr Fu over the phone or in person, please call Andrew Boyd on 07919 311993 or 01903 741184.

 

For a country profile on China and news stories on that nation please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/country-profiles/china.php

 

For further information, please contact Release International on 01689 823491, or by email at info@releaseinternational.org