Human Rights in China (HRIC)
has learned that Shanghai lawyer Zheng Enchong and his wife, Jiang Meili,
were taken from their home separately by police on the evening of July 12.
Sources say that though Jiang Meili has since returned home, Zheng remains in
custody.

Zheng Enchong was released from prison on June 5 after serving a
three-year sentence for "illegally providing state secrets overseas." Under the
terms of his sentence, he is deprived of his political rights for an additional
year. Since his release, Zheng has been under constant police monitoring and
effective house arrest, and has been warned not to speak to the
media.

Sources in China told HRIC that more than a dozen Public Security
police from Shanghai's Zhabei District North Station dispatch station burst into
Zheng's home around 6:30 in the evening on July 12 and summoned Jiang Meili to
report to the police station on suspicion of "impeding the officials of state
organs in the execution of their duties" under Section 82 of China's Criminal
Procedure Law. Sources say police produced a written summons at the time. Police
also carried out a search on Zheng's home and took away a computer that Jiang
Meili's brother had left there, along with a quantity of documents. Among the
seized documents was a letter Zheng had written to President Hu Jintao and
Premier Wen Jiabao. Sources say police produced a search warrant only after the
search.

Sources say that around 10:00 that same night, about a dozen
Public Security and State Security police came to Zheng's home again and
produced a summons requiring Zheng to accompany them to the police station on
suspicion of "during a period of deprivation of political rights, impeding
officials of state organs in the execution of their duties."

Since his
release Zheng Enchong has been under effective house arrest and under constant
surveillance by police that prevents him from virtually all activities, even
those allowed under his sentence of deprivation of political rights. HRIC urges
the international community to continue to monitor Zheng's situation, and calls
on the Shanghai authorities to immediately release Zheng and stop its harassment
of Zheng and his family.