A video interview of a petitioner in front of the Beijing No. 3 Detention Center, hoping to be able to visit Xu Zhiyong (许志永), the rights advocate who has been criminally detained since July 16 on suspicion of “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” The petitioner said Xu has been helping her younger brother fight an unjust 14-year prison sentence.

Location: Beijing No. 3 Detention Center
Date: July 19, 2013
Interviewer and videographer: Liu Weiguo (Laywer)
Interviewee: Petitioner requesting to see Xu Zhiyong

Interviewer: When was the last time you saw Xu Zhiyong?

Female petitioner: I don’t really remember exactly when.  I think it was somewhere around the Spring Festival –before that, probably.

Interviewer: Why did you look him up?

Female petitioner: Because of my brother. The court was wrongfully sentenced to 14 years in prison…

Interviewer: So you wanted Xu Zhiyong to help you seek redress the injustice?

Female petitioner: Yes. I … beaten to death by them.

Interviewer: Xu Zhiyong has been detained. How do you feel?

Female petitioner: I feel horrible. People doing kind deeds are in prison, while those who killed people in Beijing remain undisturbed…

Interviewer: What would you like to say to Xu Zhiyong?

Female petitioner: I believe that in the end, good will come to good people. Heavens will one day send punishment down to those corrupted and muddle-headed officials; and then they will have to go petitioning, file lawsuits, and get thrown into prisons…