Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen

While hundreds of thousands flood the World Expo in Shanghai every day, former lawyer Zheng Enchong is forbidden to even leave his apartment in the city. His home has been his prison since his official prison sentence ended in June 2006.

Around the clock, 12 guards, including uniformed police, plain-clothes public security officials and their hired hands, take turns manning the outer gate, building entrance and hallway outside Zheng's apartment. Strategically posted surveillance cameras ensure that no one in the vicinity can escape police eyes. Zheng, who is 60, only leaves when summoned by police and has been summoned at least 77 times since 2006 for interrogations that are intimidating and occasionally physically abusive. His home has been searched 11 times, and five computers have been confiscated. He generally has no internet access, and his phone is monitored when not disconnected.

His wife is allowed daily trips to market but is always followed. When police prevent her from going out during "sensitive" times, they shop for the family! After authorities made it clear that Zheng's teenage daughter had no future in China, she fled to the US.

Almost all journalists and foreigners who try to visit Zheng have been intercepted, as one of us was four years ago. Yet, to our surprise, we managed to see him on May 29, after a failed attempt the day before. We were the first foreigners to see him in 17 months.