Yang’s wife, Harvard medical School researcher Christina X. Fu, has said that Yang was placed in solitary confinement with handcuffs until his hands became bloodied and infected following his attempts to protest his detention.
Fu could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Genser said that one of the downsides of Yang’s refusal to appeal is that he will no longer be able to talk to his Beijing-based lawyer, Mo Shaoping.
“In the interim we have no idea how he is being treated,” Genser said.
Yang was initially arrested in Kunming on April 26, 2002, after entering China with a friend’s passport and using a fake identification card. Yang had been banned from China after participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests for democracy.
Since Yang has already served over two years of his five-year prison sentence, Genser said he will be eligible for parole under Chinese Law on Oct. 26 of this year.
“He is going to be given credit for time served,” Genser said.
Genser said that despite Yang’s refusal to file an appeal, he will work to free him from prison as soon as possible.
“We are going to continue to push hard for his early release,” Genser said.
Genser also highlighted the tremendous influence that Harvard could exert on Yang’s behalf.
“I would reiterate the importance of the Harvard community, particularly [University President Lawrence H.] Summers, in continuing to put pressure on the Chinese government,” Genser said.
—Staff writer Evan M. Vittor can be reached at evittor@fas.harvard.edu.