Chinese authorities have formally arrested labor activist Xue Mingkai on subversion charges after he carried out an independent investigation into the death of an elected village chief.
"He was formally arrested on April 24 for incitement to subvert state power," Xue's father Xue Fushun said. "They told me that the formal notice was mailed to our village government."
Xue, 22, is a native of Shandong province, but had been living in the eastern city of Hangzhou at the time of his arrest.
"My son said he was going to Hangzhou," Xue Fushun added. "I don't know what he was going for, but he was arrested after he came back from Hangzhou."
He said Xue's mother had disappeared after she went to the Jinan municipal government offices and the Shandong provincial government offices to enquire after her son.
"I haven't had any news of her since," Xue Fushun said.
Death ruled 'an accident'
Xue was taken away by Hangzhou police on March 5. His arrest comes after he and fellow activist Wei Shuishan travelled to Zhejiang's Zhaiqiao village to carry out an investigation into the death of elected village chief Qian Yunhui.
Zhejiang authorities sentenced a truck driver to three-and-a-half years in prison earlier this year after he ran over Qian with his truck.
The authorities ruled Qian's death an accident in spite of widespread allegations that the popular land rights activist was assassinated.
Xue has already served 18 months in prison between May 2009 and November 2010 for “subversion of state power,” after he tried to set up a workers' democratic party for migrant workers in Shenzhen, and then later joined the banned China Democracy Party (CDP).
Zhejiang-based dissident Zou Wei said Xue and Wei had both been called in for questioning by the Hangzhou state security police after their trip to Zhaiqiao.
"Two of them went in, but we haven't yet had news of Wei Xueshan."
Summoned by police
He said both men had had close ties with CDP elder Zhu Yufu, who has also been charged with subversion.
Zou said he had also received a summons to the state security police in Hangzhou, who seemed to be in the process of collecting evidence against the three men.
"The state security police were asking me questions about Zhu Yufu, Xue Mingkai, and Wei Shuishan," he said.
Chinese authorities are carrying out one of the harshest crackdowns in years following calls for "Jasmine" protests inspired by recent uprisings in the Middle East.
According to the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) group, the government has criminally detained a total of 40 individuals since mid-February when the calls for "Jasmine" protests first appeared online.
Six of the criminally detained have been formally arrested, two have been sent to labor camp, 24 have been released (out of which 19 have been released on bail to await trial), and eight remain detained.
Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service and by Grace Kei Lai-see for the Cantonese service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.