Yuan Xianchen

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articlesavailable from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Yuan Xianchen isa lawyer human rights activist from Heilongjiang, China. On March 4 2009he was found guilty of 'inciting subversion of state power' andsentenced to four years inprisonment and five years' deprivation ofpolitical rights. The verdict is currently being appealed, since Yuanclaims evidence used against him in court was extracted by means oftorture. Yuan, 44, self-studied law and is best known for his work as alegal advisor to workers at the Didao Mine in Jixi City. The miners havebeen seeking compensation from the local government and the minemanagement since the former state-owned business was re-structured andbecame a private enterprise. Yuan's legal aid work in Jixi City since1998 on behalf of farmers, miners, displaced persons, and otherimpoverished or exploited citizens earned him the ire of localgovernment officials.