The Chinese government in the midst of the worst crackdown on free speech in at least a decade, has just detained China’s most well-known artist, the activist Ai Weiwei. Afraid that any mention of the “Jasmine Revolutions” sweeping the Middle East right now might lead to similar protests in China, Chinese authorities are cracking down hard. In the past month, dozens of Chinese bloggersand dissidents have been detained “disappeared”, and in less than 24 hours after his arrest, Ai’s name has been virtually erased from the Chinese internet.
The UK, Germany, France, and America have already called for Ai’s release, now it’s time for the world’s internet users to stand with him and the countless other Chinese that have been unlawfully detained. Sign the urgent petition to the Chinese government below.
Dear Hu Jintao and the Chinese government,
We call upon you to immediately release Ai Weiwei and all other Chinese citizens who have been similarly detained. We further call upon you to restore online access to their names and works. Stability and security comes from addressing the underlying causes of dissent, not silencing it.
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