BEIJING, CHINA (ANS) -- A Chinese Christian human rights attorney and his wife have suffered physical abuse at the hands of Chinese officials.

ChinaAid (www.chinaaid.org ) says that at 7:40 AM (Beijing time) on Nov. 19, Jiang Tianyong and his wife attempted to leave their home to take their daughter to school, when they were barred from leaving the apartment building by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers assembled at the gate.

A media release from ChinaAid says: "Before Jiang could speak with them, four officers grabbed him violently and forced him into a police car. A police officer named Wang Tao threw his wife to the ground and began striking her. Jiang's 7- year-old daughter cried helplessly as she watched her father being dragged away to detention by the officers."

ChinaAid reports that Jiang Tianyong was arrested and held in detention at the Yangfangdian PSB office of Haidian District, Beijing for over 13 hours, under the guard of Officers Li Aimin and Wang Tao.

"He was allowed only one meal during his detention. A dozen human rights lawyers rallied in front of the station to demand Jiang's release and to show support for their colleague. He was released at 9:26 PM (Beijing time) to return home to his family," the ChinaAid report states."

Immediately after learning of Jiang's arrest, ChinaAid contacted the US Embassy in Beijing and several U.S. Congressional offices, notifying them of Jiang Tianyong's harassment and detention.

ChinaAid went on to say: "A US Embassy official quickly responded and said that the Embassy had called the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and formally registered the U.S. Government's concern and opposition to this action. The Embassy further reported the incident to the National Security Council and the State Department prior to Jiang's release."

ChinaAid says Christian Attorney Jiang Tianyong had just returned to Beijing on Tuesday, November 17, after touring the United States for 4 weeks and speaking out on the unjust treatment of human rights lawyers in China.

Jiang was one of the two lawyers interrogated and detained on November 18, for attempting to meet with President Obama.

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Interested media are being asked to please contact: Annee@ChinaAid.org  with questions or requests.

Contact: Contact: Annee Kahler,
Media Coordinator,
267-210-8278,
Annee@ChinaAid.org ;

Jenny McCloy,
Directory of Advocacy (Washington, DC),
202-213-0506,
Jenny@ChinaAid.org ;

both with ChinaAid

www.ChinaAid.org
www.MonitorChina.org  

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.'