dissidents news stories on Newser

Chen: China's Promises 'Just Empty Words'

Kevin Spak — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:46:07 CDT

Chen Guangcheng says he's being treated well enough at the hospital where he's recuperating , but that he doesn't trust the Chinese government to continue being so kind. In an interview with der Spiegel —which the paper says was plagued by a connection that cut out multiple times—Chen confirms that...

Pope Slams 'Radical' Austrian Priests

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:00:00 CDT

Pope Benedict has ripped into a dissident group of Austrian priests for questioning some church teachings and advocating for married and female priests. He accused the group—known as the Pfarrer Initiative—of "a desperate push to do something to change the church in accordance with one's own preferences and...

Israel, Iran Terrorists Are Killing Scientists: Officials

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:37:33 CST

As Iran has long claimed, Israel is indeed behind the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, providing financing, training, and weapons to the Iranian terrorist group that carries out the attacks, US officials confirm to NBC News . Five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed since 2007, reportedly by the People’s Mujahedin...

China Jails 2nd Writer for Subversion

Kate Schwartz — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:16:32 CST

China handed yet another dissident yet another long sentence today: Chen Xi was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being charged with "incitement to subvert state power" following the online publication of 36 essays he had written. His wife called the verdict "utterly absurd," explaining that "Chen Xi told...

'Subversive' Chinese Writer Gets 9 Years in Prison

Matt Cantor — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:38:44 CST

A Chinese writer has been hit with a nine-year jail sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" after he posted online essays demanding free speech and government reform, reports the BBC . The sentence follows a two-hour, closed-door trial that Chen Wei's wife called "a performance" whose outcome was settled beforehand....

Supporters Send $840K for Ai Weiwei Tax Bill

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:23:43 CST

Ai Weiwei has raised $840,000 toward his $2.4 million tax bill , thanks to nearly 20,000 people who have sent in donations to the Chinese artist and dissident. But Ai—who views the money received as loans, not donations—says he will repay it all, though, the Christian...

Burma Releases 155 Political Prisoners

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:31:59 CDT

Burma today began releasing the 6,300 prisoners who will be granted amnesty, but so far the number of political detainees released does not come close to the estimated 2,000 who are in jail. The Telegraph puts the number of political prisoners released at 120, while the AP reports...

Vietnam Police Rough Up US Envoy

Rob Quinn — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:05 CST

The US has lodged a strong protest against Vietnam's treatment of an American diplomat who attempted to visit a prominent pro-democracy dissident. US officials say embassy political officer Christian Marchant was roughed up and had a car door repeatedly slammed on his legs when he tried to visit Thadeus Nguyen...

Egypt Frees Dissident Blogger After 4 Years

Rob Quinn — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 03:50:34 CST

An Egyptian blogger jailed for criticizing conservative Muslims has been freed after 4 years behind bars. Kareem Amer, a 26-year-old law student and outspoken secularist, was convicted of "spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country's reputation," CNN reports. Amer, who spent much of his sentence in...