【新唐人2014年02月11日訊】專為受迫害的異議作家設立的獎項——赫爾曼•哈米特獎，日前由正在監獄服刑的中國異議作家李必豐獲得。負責管理這一獎項的美國人權組織「人權觀察」，在2月6號，正式向李必豐夫人發出了通知。

赫爾曼•哈米特獎，是由美國劇作家赫爾曼和小說家哈米特設立的一個人權獎項，目地是表彰那些因發表與政府不同見解、批評政府言論，或報導政府不樂見的主題，而受到迫害，生活陷入困境，卻依然努力促進言論自由的異議作家。自1989年以來，全世界已經有92個國家，超過750名作家和學者獲得了這個獎項。

「2013年赫爾曼•哈米特獎」的獲得者——目前正在四川遂寧監獄服刑的中國異議作家李必豐，原是四川綿陽市稅務局幹部，1989年「六四事件」後，李必豐因為組織遊行，被當局以「反革命宣傳煽動罪」判刑5年。出獄後又遭到多次關押，但他依然堅持參與民主運動。

1998年，李必豐為《中國人權》組織，調查四川千名紡織工人罷工流血事件，又被當局以「經濟詐騙罪」判刑7年。2011年9月，李必豐被指稱資助詩人廖亦武出逃德國，而再次被當局以所謂「合同詐騙罪」拘捕。當時，儘管國內外作家聯署簽名聲援李必豐，但當局依然將他判處長達12年的有期徒刑。

對此，李必豐的親朋和民主人士都認為，李必豐是無辜的，中共當局幾次將他重判，都是對他的政治迫害。

中國異議作家李必豐妻子蔣霞：「他第二次坐牢，也是以合同詐騙罪給他判的刑，第三次也是，請的律師，都認為他那個詐騙罪都不應該成立。一些媒體也在關注，包括世界各國，還包括他的朋友呼籲，最後法院還是按照他們那種結論判決。我認為一個國家對它的公民在法律上都應該是平等的，不該採取一種抹黑的方式來對待它的公民。」

大陸民主人士指出，由於政治犯、良心犯，只存在於專制獨裁的國家當中，為了避免受到國際社會的譴責，中共當局一直羅織各種刑事犯罪的罪名，打壓迫害異議人士，例如經濟罪、「聚眾擾亂公共場所秩序」罪、「非法集會」罪等等。

四川民主人士、異議作家李雙德：「現在中共如果要用政治罪來進行打壓，它們所付出的成本是非常大的，所以中共能夠不以政治罪進行打壓，它就盡量不以政治罪進行打壓，因為它們宣稱『在中國大陸沒有政治犯』。」

據了解，李必豐多年來一直堅持寫作，所涉文體包括詩歌、小說、劇本、政論等，也曾經寫過幾百萬字的作品，但他的所有作品卻因為大陸特有的「新聞出版審查制度」而無法發表，他的手稿也曾被警察搜走銷毀。

蔣霞：「他原來也寫過一些詩或者一些小說之類的，但基本上都沒有發表，好像他的一些他自己寫的文章，只是給他的一些朋友看過，他以前他在監獄裡邊寫的一些東西。」

除了李必豐之外，近年大陸一批異議作家和知識份子，也都曾獲得赫爾曼•哈米特這一獎項，其中包括被稱為「中國良心」的著名記者劉賓雁、湖北政論作家杜導斌、資深媒體人高瑜、「六四天網」創辦人黃琦、詩人及流亡作家廖亦武、法學博士滕彪等人。

採訪/唐音 編輯/張天宇 後製/李勇

Dissident Writer in Prison Receives Hellman-Hammett Grants

Hellman-Hammett grant program was set up for writers around the world who have been victims of political persecution. Chinese dissident writer Li Bifeng was recently awarded this grant.

Human Rights Watch administers the program and formally notified Mrs. Li Bifeng on Feb. 6 of the grant.

The grants are named for the late American playwright Lillian Hellman and the novelist Dashiell Hammett. It aims to help writers who were targeted for expressing views that their governments oppose, for criticizing government

officials or actions, or for writing about subjects that their governments did not want reported. Since 1989, more than 750 writers from 92 countries have

received the Hellman-Hammett grant.

The 2013 Hellman-Hammett grant awardee, Chinese dissident writer Li Bifeng is currently serving a prison sentence in Suining, Sichuan.

He used to be a cadre at Mianyang City Revenue. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protest, Li Bifeng was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the crime of instigating counter-revolutionary propaganda because he had organized a demonstration. He has been subject to multiple imprisonments after that

for his insistence on participating in the democratic movement.

In 1998, Li Bifeng was sentenced to 7 years on the charges of the economic crime of swindling for assisting investigation of a bloody strike involving thousands of textile workers in Sichuan, for the Human Rights in China organization.

In September 2011, the Communist authorities charged him with contract fraud for his alleged financial support for poet Liao Yiwu ‘s flight to Germany.

Despite worldwide protests and petitions, Li Bifeng was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

In this regard, Li Bifeng was believed innocent by his family and friends as well as the activists. They believe Li Bifeng has been subject to the regime ‘s

political persecution.

Jiang Xia, Li Bifeng ‘s wife: “His second and third imprisonments were both based on the economic fraud. None of the attorneys we spoke to agreed with the charges. With media coverage and worldwide protests, the court still

sentenced him on the charges.

Every state should treat its citizens by laws. I don ‘t think a state should discredit its citizens."

Activists explain that political prisoners and prisoners of conscience exist only in authoritarian countries. To avoid condemnation by the international committee, the regime has persecuted dissidents on various criminal charges,

such as economic crimes, gathering crowds to disturb public order, and unlawful assembly.

Li Shuangde, Sichuan activist and dissident writer: “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would not suppress based on political crimes, because they have claimed that there is no political prisoner in China."

Li Bifeng has insisted on writing, ranging from poetry, novels, plays, to political comments. However, his works have been banned because of the CCP

news publication censorship. His original manuscript has also been confiscated by the police.

Jiang Xia: “He had written some poetry and fiction. But none of them were published. Some of his works were only shown to his friends, especially those he wrote in the prison."

In addition to Li Bifeng, Chinese dissident writers who have received the Hellman-Hammett grant are also the conscience of China: famous reporter Liu Binyan, Hubei commentator Du Daobin, senior journalist Gao Yu, 64tianwang.com founder Huang Qi, poet and writer in exile Liao Yiwu, and human rights activist and lawyer Teng Biao.

Interview/TangYin Edit/Zhang Tianyu Post-Production/LiYong