Blogger faces five years in Chinese jail after tweeting a joke about Communist Party delegates dying

Zhai Xiaobing arrested after tweeting joke about the Communist Party



Hundreds of Chinese internet users are petitioning for his release

He is being investigated for 'spreading terrorist information'



Blogger detained: Zhai Xiaobing was detained by police after joking on Twitter about the Communist Party congress

A blogger is facing five years in prison after he was arrested for writing a joke on Twitter about the deaths of Chinese Communist Party delegates.

Zhai Xiaobing, from Beijing, has received the support of hundreds of internet users following the joke about the party's congress on November 8.



Chinese authorities have been especially sensitive to any perceived dissent about the party meeting, which closed last week, after ushering in a new generation of leaders.



Ahead of the event, police sent activists out of Beijing and rounded up the hundreds of people who tried to draw the attention of central authorities to their grievances against local governments.

Mr Xiaobing's tweet on November 5 suggested the next movie in the Final Destination horror film franchise would be about the Great Hall of the People collapsing on party delegates.



He posted on Twitter: ‘An earth-shaking début will be seen at the global première on Nov. 8!’

The week-long congress began that day.



After his Twitter account fell silent for a few days, his friend Liu Yanping grew worried and visited his home in Miyun county in Beijing's northeastern suburbs.

Salute to China: Police salute the Chinese national flag before the opening of the Communist Party congress which Mr Xiaobing joked about

There, his family members told Ms Yanping that Miyun county police had taken him away on November 7 and seized his computer.

A Miyun county police officer, who would only give his surname, Sun, said that Zhai was being investigated for ‘spreading terrorist information’.

Mr Xiaobing’s supporters have called the allegation absurd and more than 400 people have signed an online petition calling on police to release him and to have more of a sense of humour.

Ms Yanping said: ‘I was very shocked when I realised what happened to him.

‘I've consulted a few lawyers and I feel that it's clear his Twitter joke does not amount to spreading terrorist information. It's just preposterous.’

New generation of leaders: Delegates listen as Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers his address at the opening of the 18th Communist Party Congress

Pivotal party: Chinese authorities have been especially sensitive to any perceived dissent toward the Communist Party whose congress was held for a week from November 8

She said that she and a few other activists have been in touch with his family and would help hire a lawyer.

She said state security officials visited his wife to warn her to keep a low profile. When contacted by phone, she refused to comment on her husband’s situation.



The online petition, written by outspoken blogger and free speech advocate Wen Yunchao, urged authorities to lighten up.



The letter said: ‘We solemnly request that Beijing police find a little sense of humour and not make a big deal out of nothing.

‘In particular, do not destroy the goodwill and anticipation the public has for the new office holders after the 18th party congress by limiting and persecuting an ordinary citizen's normal freedom of speech in such a groundless fashion.’

Need a sense of humour: People walk past a large screen televising the congress at Beijing Railway Station as online petitioners urge police to release Mr Xiaobing

'For greater freedom': Police patrol near the congress as a Human Rights Watch advocate said the party's decision to release Mr Xiaobing will show whether they are unwilling to change or respond to popular demands

In trouble for tweet: Mr Xiaobing is being investigated for 'spreading terrorist information' for his tweet: 'An earth-shaking debut will be seen at the global premiere on Nov. 8!'

Further enquiries were directed to the Beijing Public Security Bureau, which did not immediately respond to a faxed list of questions.

A rights group said the case could be seen as a test of whether China's incoming leaders will continue a steady crackdown that authorities have imposed on the country's small community of activists, dissidents and lawyers in recent years.