Rights activist Yang Maodong, who was taken into police custody more than two weeks ago, has been formally arrested for allegedly running an illegal business, his wife Zhang Qing said yesterday.
An assistant to Yang's lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said Beijing police had informed the law firm that another client, lawyer Gao Zhisheng , had also been formally arrested.
Ms Zhang said police had told her to go to see them on Saturday to collect a document allowing her to post bail for her husband, better known as Guo Feixiong, then handed her a formal detention order dated September 28.
'It was a trick. We applied for bail on September 29 but they had already decided on September 28 to arrest him,' she said.
Ms Zhang said Yang went on a fast between September 14, when he was detained, and September 28, when he was told he would be able see his lawyer the next day, to protest against the crackdown on the civil rights movement.
She said Mr Mo, who saw Yang for more than 40 minutes, said her husband had daily questioning sessions exceeding the 11-hour limit.