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Representative Steve Chabot will visit Chen Shui-bian at Taichung Prison
Credits: Offiial photo
（大地翻譯小組，簡易翻譯）
4月26日俄亥俄州眾議員Steve Chabot 宣布他想去探訪在台中監獄的陳水扁總統的意願，這位辛辛那提國會議員是「台灣連線」的創始人之一，他很密切觀察陳總統的案子，Chabot 是眾議員亞洲小組委員會的主席，正計畫下週一趟於南韓、日本與台灣的真相發掘之旅。
陳水扁是中華民國流亡政府2000-2008年的總統，他遭到具爭議性的審判入監，辜仲諒已經撤回他有賄賂陳的證詞。
Chabot 告訴 Taipei Times 報紙，陳水扁已經被關夠久了，為了人道考量應讓陳水扁返家，陪伴家人。
Chabot 提到，多關一天都是不需要的、錯誤的與不人道的。他應立即返家。
Chabot 批評陳的案件是政治事件，跟馬英九有關的政治上的定罪，Chabot 兩年前在一個外交事務委員會嚴厲譴責對於陳的定罪與關押。
Chabot 要求中華民國政府提供陳的案件資料，並收到了法院判決書。
「我讀了，而我的想法一點都沒變」，Chabot 對於聽到陳是政治犯的意見並無存疑。
兩件事糾纏著馬政府，一件是換法官事件，一件是監獄沒有床。
陳水扁必須去適應牢房狹小的空間，沒傢俱，24小時的燈光照射，這使得這位前總統崩潰，陳因為腦神經出問題住進北榮6個月，在拂曉移監前，陳曾試圖用內衣上吊自殺。
獄方否認陳因為聽到違反北榮周元華醫師醫囑的移監而自殺，陳的兩位民間醫師，郭正典與陳順勝醫師在移監事件四天後到台中監獄發現陳的脖子上有13公分長的紅色疤痕，也發現移監後的四天內陳都沒有得到任何醫療照護。
Chabot 眾議員計畫下週五到台中監獄探訪陳水扁。
Congressman Steve Chabot to visit Chen Shui-bian at Taichung Prison
April 27, 2013 By: Michael Richardson
On April 26, Representative Steve Chabot [R-OH] announced his intention to visit Chen Shui-bian at Taichung Prison. The Cincinnati congressman is a founder of the Taiwan Caucus and has followed Chen’s case closely. Representative Chabot is chairman of a House subcommittee on Asia and is making a fact-finding tour of South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan next week.
Chen Shui-bian is the former president of the Republic of China in-exile from 2000 to 2008. Detained shortly after leaving office, Chen is now imprisoned on a lengthy sentence for alleged corruption. Chen was convicted in a controversial, no-jury trial. Jeffery Koo, Jr., the chief witness against Chen, has now recanted his testimony that he bribed Chen.
“I believe that former President Chen Shui-bian has been incarcerated long enough,” Steve Chabot told the Taipei Times. “The humanitarian thing to do would be to let Chen go home. However many years he has left, he should be able to spend that time with his family.”
Chabot continued, “Keeping him in prison for a day longer is unnecessary, wrongheaded and inhumane. He should be returned home at this point.”
Representative Chabot has previously criticized the Chen prosecution which Chabot sees as political. Chabot calls Chen’s case the “criminalization of politics” which reflects poorly on Chen’s successor, Ma Ying-jeou. Chabot denounced Chen’s prosecution and imprisonment in an outburst at a committee meeting of the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee two years ago.
Chabot had requested information from the ROC government about the trial of Chen and was supplied with copies of the charges against Chen and the court judgments.
“I read them, I read the reports and they didn’t change my mind at all,” Chabot explained to the Taipei Times. Chabot has no doubt heard from some of the Taiwanese voices crying out that Chen Shui-bian is a political prisoner.
Two issues continue to dog Ma Ying-jeou’s administration. One was the controversial trial with a handpicked judge and recanted testimony. Two, the harsh and severe prison punishment imposed on Chen who was even denied a bed.
The prison conditions Chen Shui-bian has had to cope with, a tiny cell, no furniture, 24-hour lighting, have broken the former president. Chen was hospitalized in a locked psychiatric unit at Taipei Veterans Hospital for six months because of his severe depression and degenerating neurological condition. The transfer to Taichung Prison in an unannounced pre-dawn move earlier in the month was preceded by an attempted suicide hanging by Chen using a shirt and the bathroom door handle.
Prison officials deny that Chen Shui-bian attempted suicide when informed of the transfer but that is contradicted by Chen’s doctor at Veteran’s Hospital, Dr. Chou Yuan-hua. Also, two of Chen’s volunteer doctors traveled to Taichung Prison four days after the move and examined Chen. Dr. C. D. Kuo and Dr. Chen Shuen-sheng both found a 13 cm red scar on Chen’s neck. The two doctors also found that no medical care had been provided to Chen during his first four days in the prison.
Representative Chabot will attempt to visit Chen Shui-bian at Taichung Prison next Friday.
source: Michael Richardson
US representative hopes to meet Chen Shui-bian (Taipei Times 2013.04.27)
SHOW OF SUPPORT: A prominent US politician said that the former president has been in jail too long and to his mind it amounts to the criminalization of politics
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
US Congressional Subcommittee on Asia chairman Steve Chabot is hoping to meet with former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) late next week.
It will be the strongest show of US political support for Chen to date.
Chabot, a major backer of Taiwan in the US Congress, is scheduled to leave for Asia this weekend, visiting South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
He is trying to make arrangements to meet Chen next Friday.
“I believe that former president Chen Shui-bian has been incarcerated long enough,” said Chabot, a founding member of the Taiwan caucus.
“The humanitarian thing to do would be to let Chen go home,” he said. “However many years he has left, he should be able to spend that time with his family.”
Answering questions about Chen following a meeting of the Asia subcommittee on Thursday, Chabot said: “Keeping him in prison for a day longer is unnecessary, wrongheaded and inhumane.”
“He should be returned home at this point,” he said.
Chabot said the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had sent him copies of the charges against Chen and the court judgement in his case.
“I read them. I read the reports and they didn’t change my mind at all,” Chabot said.
“Chen has been incarcerated far too long,” he said. “As far as I am concerned, I think it amounts to the criminalization of politics.”
“I am not justifying or condoning what President Chen was accused of, but whatever he did he has been in jail far too long, especially when you consider his physical and mental condition at this time,” Chabot said. “The humanitarian thing to do is to allow him to go home and be with his family.”
“I would hope that Taiwan, being a humanitarian country, a good ally, a strong ally of the United States and generally doing the right thing, does the right thing in this case too,” he said.
The Congressman refused to say what action he would take if the Ma administration continues to refuse to grant Chen medical parole.
However, Chabot is deeply and emotionally committed to helping Chen and two political sources close to him said that he would not let the case drop and was prepared to take further action.
source: Taipei Times
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