Families of Jailed Chinese Dissidents Slam Yahoo

Hope Congressional hearings will bring pressure for men's release

By Colleen Barry

Posted Nov 8, 2007 1:01 AM CST

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Families of Jailed Chinese Dissidents Slam Yahoo — Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007, prior to testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) (Associated Press)

Families of two jailed Chinese dissidents who appeared at Congressional hearings on the matter yesterday say they hope hearings would pressure China to release the men, who were imprisoned after Yahoo released information about them to their government. After the hearing, Yahoo execs met with the family members privately, apologizing for their company's role in the affair and promising to work for the men's release.

"I am very happy that I saw and I heard the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and other congressmen criticize and condemn Yahoo for having lied to the Congress," the mother of one of the jailed men told the Journal. The two families are suing Yahoo, accusing the company of breaking a law that forbids American corporations from assisting in the perpetration of human rights violations in foreign countries.

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