Imprisoned Chinese dissident Wang Xiaoning and his wife Yu Ling filed suit against Yahoo on Wednesday, accusing the company of abetting the torture of pro-democracy writers by helping Chinese authorities beat and jail dissidents.
More than a month ago, I wrote this story for Wired News about Yu Ling's plight and her desire to confront Yahoo in court. With help from the World Organization for Human Rights USA, now she has. Her suit, filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, is believed to be the first of its kind.
Yu and other unnamed defendants are seeking damages and an injunction against Yahoo that would prevent the internet giant from identifying dissidents to Chinese authorities.
The story made headlines all over the country today. Here's the Washington Post piece on it. And one from the NYT. __
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Update:Here's the complaint (.pdf)
After doing press interviews Thursday morning -- her last full day in the United States -- Yu had two things remaining on her agenda. She wanted to go shopping. And she wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. She walked the entire span. Wired dispatched photographer Jenna Wortham yesterday to snap some parting portraits of Yu. She is seen above in the lobby of the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
Yu faces an uncertain fate back in Beijing. Her lawsuit could pressure the Chinese government to commute her husband's sentence. It could also make her the target of repressive government policies.
(Photo: Jenna Wortham, 4/19/07)
