Director of the Shanghai Bureau of Justice
MIAO Xiaobao Juzhang
Shanghaishi Sifaju
225 Wuxinglu
Shanghaishi 200030
People's Republic of China

Dear Director Miao:

I write to you regarding Mao Hengfeng, who is currently in police detention in Shanghai awaiting trial. She has been detained numerous times in the last decade because of petitions she has filed regarding her dismissal from work, a forced abortion required by a Shanghai court, and the denial of other basic rights including the right to freedom of expression. She reportedly has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment in the past, especially during a period of detention in a "Reeducation through Labor" camp in 2004-5. Now she is held in solitary confinement, where she is not allowed contact with her family or others, and has no bed.

Mao Hengfeng's case reportedly has been rejected by the court for lack of evidence, and it appears that she is being held because of her lawful and non-violent expression of opinion. I urge you to obtain Mao's immediate and unconditional release. While she continues in detention, please insure that she is not tortured or ill-treated and that she has full access to a lawyer, her family, and any necessary medical care.

I ask for Mao Hengfeng's immediate and unconditional release as Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience since her actions have been non-violent. I also urge you to see that Mao Hengfeng and other human rights activists are allowed to carry out their legitimate, peaceful human rights activities without fear of arbitrary detention, torture or ill-treatment, or other human rights violations

Sincerely,