Teng Biao
Encyclopedia
Teng Biao is a human rights
activist and lawyer in China
. Teng is a lecturer at the University of Politics and Law in Beijing. He has been a vocal supporter of human rights activists such as Chen Guangcheng
and Hu Jia
. He has been arrested at least twice, in March 2008 and in February 2011.
In 2006 he was counsel for the blind civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng
, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
agents and detained for two days.
In 2011, Teng met with other lawyers on 16 February to talk about the case of Chen Guangcheng, who was placed illegally under house arrest after his release from prison. His fellow lawyers Jiang Tianyong and Tang Jitian, who attended the meeting, were arrested soon after. Teng was arrested on 20 February, the first Sunday of the 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests that were inspired by the 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
. On 28 February 2011, Amnesty International
launched an "urgent action
" in support of the three detained lawyers.. Teng Biao was released on 29 April, after more than two months of detention. Human rights organisations state that "He remains under surveillance".
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist and lawyer in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Teng is a lecturer at the University of Politics and Law in Beijing. He has been a vocal supporter of human rights activists such as Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng is a blind civil rights activist in the People's Republic of China who drew international attention to human rights issues in rural areas. He was placed under house arrest from September 2005 to March 2006 after talking to Time magazine about the forced abortion cases he...
and Hu Jia
Hu Jia (activist)
Hu Jia is an activist and dissident in the People's Republic of China. His work has focused on the Chinese democracy movement, Chinese environmentalist movement, and HIV/AIDS in the People's Republic of China...
. He has been arrested at least twice, in March 2008 and in February 2011.
Human rights activities
Teng Biao is one of the founders of the Open Constitution Initiative in 2003.In 2006 he was counsel for the blind civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng is a blind civil rights activist in the People's Republic of China who drew international attention to human rights issues in rural areas. He was placed under house arrest from September 2005 to March 2006 after talking to Time magazine about the forced abortion cases he...
, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
Arrests
On 7 March 2008, Teng was abducted by Beijing Public SecurityPublic Security Bureau
In the People's Republic of China, a public security bureau refers to the government offices while the smaller offices are called Police posts which are similar in concept to the Japanese Kōban system) present in each province and municipality that handles policing , public security, and...
agents and detained for two days.
In 2011, Teng met with other lawyers on 16 February to talk about the case of Chen Guangcheng, who was placed illegally under house arrest after his release from prison. His fellow lawyers Jiang Tianyong and Tang Jitian, who attended the meeting, were arrested soon after. Teng was arrested on 20 February, the first Sunday of the 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests that were inspired by the 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
. On 28 February 2011, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
launched an "urgent action
Action alert
An action alert is a message that an organization sends to mobilize people - often members of their group and supports of a specific point of view - calling on them to take action to influence public policy. Typically, action alerts are in reference to a timely issue, where prompt action is needed...
" in support of the three detained lawyers.. Teng Biao was released on 29 April, after more than two months of detention. Human rights organisations state that "He remains under surveillance".