Wang Dan's mother goes to the top

The mother of prominent jailed dissident, Wang Dan , is petitioning the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for a retrial of her son's case.

On Wednesday, Wang Lingyun tried to deliver a letter by hand to the committee's complaints bureau but was rejected on the grounds it was outside the bureau's responsibility. She sent the letter by registered post yesterday.

Ms Wang submitted petition documents to the Beijing Higher People's Court on February 20 but has received no reply.

'The NPC is the highest authority which should have the right to intervene in Wang Dan's case,' she said.

The letter from Ms Wang and Wang's father states 'the sentencing of Wang Dan was a severe violation of the law of our country' and calls on the NPC to uphold the law by reviewing the case.

The letter also said evidence was insufficient to warrant Wang's jail sentence of 11 years. Museum researcher Ms Wang, 61, helped defend her son during his trial.