Yahoo! has hit back at claims by a US Senate committee that it covered up its involvement in handing over information to Chinese authorities which led to the arrest and detention of four Chinese citizens.

In a statement the company said: “Yahoo!’s testimony was truthful, and while we regret Chairman Lantos is rushing to judgment, we look forward to working with Chairman Lantos to explain the facts surrounding the case. Yahoo! will continue to cooperate fully with the committee.

“Yahoo! has been candid about the challenges of doing business in markets like China, including where local subsidiaries of U.S. companies must comply with local laws.

“We believe deeply in human rights, and our senior executives have condemned punishment of any activity internationally recognized as free expression, whether in China or anywhere else in the world. We are actively engaged with our peers and human rights organizations as well as with the State Department on initiatives to protect free expression and privacy globally.”

Shi Tao, the Chinese journalist arrested after Yahoo! handed authorities details of his emails and IP addresses, is currently suing Yahoo! in the US courts for damages. He is also appealing against his ten year prison sentence in China.

Documents released yesterday suggested Chinese authorities made clear to Yahoo! why they were seeking the information.

Related stories

Archived Chinese scholar to sue Google and Yahoo! over search censorship (7 February 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/07/chinese_dissident_to_sue_google_and_yahoo/
Google agrees to cough Israeli blogger's IP address (28 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/28/israeli_blogger/
Yahoo! Settles! With! Jailed! Chinese! Journos! (13 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/13/yahoo_settles_lawsuit_from_jailed_chinese_journalists/
Yahoo! Bows! To! Mum! Of! Jailed! Chinese! Journalist! (6 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/yahoo_investigated_over_testimony_in_shi_tao_case/
Yahoo! says! sorry! to! Senate! (2 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/02/yahoo_uturn_on_committee_evidence/
Yahoo! accused! of! lying! to! Congress! (17 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/17/yahoo_accused_over_china/
Yahoo! seeks dismissal of China human rights lawsuit (28 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/28/yahoo_seeks_dismissal_human_rights_lawsuit/
Yahoo! Unveils! New! Mail! Service! (27 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/27/yahoo_mail_gets_text_messaging/
Yahoo!, Microsoft ink web pact with Chinese government (24 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/24/yahoo_and_microsoft_ink_chinese_blogging_pact/
Websites could be required to retain visitor info (8 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/08/litigation_data_retention/
Yahoo! faces! investigation! over! China! (6 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/06/yahoo_china_committee_investigation/
Yahoo! shareholders shun protest vote (13 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/yahoo_shareholders_meeting_semel/
Chinese reporter targets Yahoo! from prison cell (11 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/11/yahoo_shi_tao_case/
MS, Yahoo! and Google snub debate on freedom (6 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/06/corporate_chinese_collusion/
China jails writer for six years (20 March 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/20/zhang_jailed_china/
Yahoo! can! help! jail! Chinese! dissidents! (15 March 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/15/yahoo_privacy/
Wife of Chinese cyber-dissident sues Yahoo! (9 March 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/09/yahoo_cyber-dissident_lawsuit/