Shi Tao
Date(s) of Arrest:
November 24, 2004
Prison Terms:
10 years
Charges:
Revealing state secrets
Crime:
Writing essays, sending an internal Propaganda Department document to a human rights organization outside China
November 24, 2004
Prison Terms:
10 years
Charges:
Revealing state secrets
Crime:
Writing essays, sending an internal Propaganda Department document to a human rights organization outside China
Shi's position as a journalist and editor of the news division of the publication Contemporary Trade News gave him special access to internal CCP Central Propaganda directives. He and his colleagues were instructed not to cover the coming anniversary of the Tiananmen protests in 2004.
Shi used his personal Yahoo! email account to forward notes from the meeting to an overseas website. China contacted Yahoo!'s Hong Kong office and was given access to Shi's personal account, where damning evidence was found - Shi's essays critical of the authorities and CCP directives.