Dear Mr Cai Qi, We the undersigned, as residents of your UK sister city Leeds, are writing to you to express our deep concern over the arrest and imprisonment of Mr Lu Gengsong. As you are no doubt aware, this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the partnership between our two cities. The people of Leeds fully intend to celebrate this milestone as well as the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in your country this August. It is unfortunate, however, that this August will also see a far less positive anniversary that is of equal importance to us; namely the one year anniversary of the arrest of Mr Gengsong. We understand that Mr Gengsong was charged with \"inciting subversion of state power\" for his work as a writer and internet based journalist and that he was sentenced to four years imprisonment by the Intermediate People\'s Court in our sister city of Hangzhou on the 4th February this year. As far as we are aware, Mr Gengsong\'s actions are all permitted under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to, which China became a signatory a decade ago. This being the case, we are both confused and saddened by the result of Mr Gengsong\'s trial and by his continued incarceration. We hereby request that China respects it\'s long standing commitment to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and that Mr Gengsong be released immediately. Respectfully yours,

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