“These are very, very difficult times for human rights defenders,” said Sophie Richardson, the co-executive director of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an NGO. “I don’t think any democratic government has really kept pace in its interventions with Beijing.”
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On May 10, CHRD joined a coalition of civil society groups, human rights organizations , and individual advocates in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of renowned artist Gao Zhen, who remains detained at the age of 70.
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(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—April 30, 2026) Chinese authorities should immediately release and provide adequate medical care to two arbitrarily detained Tibetan writers. They are reportedly in critical health and are being deprived of adequate medical treatment in prison. Two Falun Gong practitioners recently died in prison or shortly (read more…)
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(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—April 22, 2026) The Pingyang County Court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, is scheduled to try Pastor Huang Yizi on April 24, 2026. Pastor Huang is charged with conducting “illegal business operations,” according to a court notice published by the Chinese-language website Rights Defense Network.
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His wife, Zhao Yaliang, and Shane Yi from the Chinese Human Rights Defenders group said the trial was held on Monday at a court in Sanhe City, Hebei province, near Beijing. The proceedings were conducted behind closed doors and ended without a verdict, based on information from Gao’s lawyers.
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“Artists and writers have long been in the Chinese government’s crosshairs – but the authorities are now extending that reach beyond physical borders,” says Sophie Richardson, a spokesperson for the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders advocacy group.
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GENEVA, April 15 (Reuters) – The United Nations human rights office on Wednesday said it was concerned by the trial of Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, famous for making provocative satirical sculptures of former leader Mao Zedong.
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(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—April 15, 2026) Hubei authorities should release activist Yin Dengzhen from Wuhan Women’s Prison and ensure she receives adequate medical treatment. Yin is serving a 4.5-year prison sentence and is suffering from lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), which was diagnosed in December 2024. Her (read more…)
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Human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng is expected to be released on 13 April after completing a three-year sentence following his baseless conviction for “inciting subversion of state power”. We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are deeply concerned about his wellbeing. We urge Chinese authorities to ensure that Yu Wensheng is (read more…)
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人权律师余文生预计将于4月13日获释，此前他因莫须有的“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”服刑3年。 我们，以下署名的民间社会组织，对其人身状况深表关切。我们敦促中国当局确保余文生在刑满后立即获释，允许他与其在北京的家人团聚，并且能够自由行使人权。
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(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—April 8, 2026) Two recent cases highlight Chinese authorities’ ongoing criminalization of free expression. On March 24, 2026, a Beijing court sentenced publisher Tu Jincan to three years and six months in prison for “illegal business operations.” In February, in Anhui Province, a court tried (read more…)
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“No Deals without Freedom: Freeing Political Prisoners in China”
May 11, 2026 Comments Off on “No Deals without Freedom: Freeing Political Prisoners in China”On behalf of the more than four thousand political prisoners wrongfully held by the Chinese government since 2019—1,451 of them still arbitrarily detained today, and all documented by CHRD—I thank you for the opportunity to join this gathering.
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