Alerts & Statements - Chinese Human Rights DefendersChinese Human Rights Defenders

Alert: China jails three for “picking quarrels” in ongoing assault on free expression

January 22, 2026 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, January 22, 2026) In the past month, courts in China convicted a pro-democracy activist, a renowned writer, and a former police officer on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” imposing sentences between 2.5 and 3.5 years. CHRD finds no publicly available evidence that the (read more…)

Hong Kong: Drop Charges Against Tiananmen Vigil Organizers, End Sham Trial

January 21, 2026 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—January 21, 2026) A democracy group and its leadership that organized Hong Kong’s now-banned vigil for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre are set to face trial on January 22. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and its former (read more…)

Alert: Online Secondhand Bookstore in China Removes Titles about Ethnic Groups

January 16, 2026 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—January 16, 2026) A popular online secondhand bookstore called Confucius Old Books has reportedly removed some old Chinese-language books about Tibet, Southern Mongolia and the Uyghur region according to the Rights Defense Network (RDN).

Alert: Chinese authorities seek to levy national security charges, escalating crackdown

January 9, 2026 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, January 9, 2026) On January 6, Sichuan police detained at least ten people associated with the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu from their homes or the church premises in a coordinated raid. Six remain in custody and have been criminally detained, according to a (read more…)

Alert: Chinese authorities target writer, artist for critical cultural expression

December 17, 2025 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders—December 17, 2025) Chinese authorities are arbitrarily detaining an artist and a writer in retaliation for artwork and books critical of the government. The laws invoked in both cases violate the Chinese government’s obligations under international human rights law.

Joint NGO letter to UK government following conviction of Jimmy Lai

December 16, 2025 Comments Off

Today, British citizen Jimmy Lai has been found guilty in his trial in Hong Kong, on two national security law charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He faces a sentence of up to life imprisonment. He has been imprisoned (read more…)

中国政府必须终止长期监禁人权捍卫者

December 10, 2025 Comments Off

（中国人权捍卫者——2025年12月10日）非政府组织中国人权捍卫者（CHRD）于12月10日国际人权日之际呼吁中国政府结束对人权捍卫者的长期监禁。多年来，中国当局对和平行使或捍卫人权的人士动辄判处10年或更长的刑期，试图让世界遗忘这些人及他们的抗争。

Alert: Deaths in detention should prompt investigations, prosecutions

November 25, 2025 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, November 25, 2025) — Chinese website Rights Defence Network reported in recent days that 83-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Zhao Wenxiu died in March 2025 while serving a 7.5-year prison sentence in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Zhao was wrongfully prosecuted in 2019 for exercising her right (read more…)

Joint NGO letter to demand immediate and unconditional release of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan

October 29, 2025 Comments Off

CHRD joined 91 other civil society organizations and individuals to call on the governments of the G7 and EU/EEA members to exert diplomatic pressure on the Hong Kong government to release Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan immediately and unconditionally.

Chinese authorities expand crackdown on Christian house churches

October 27, 2025 Comments Off

(Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, October 27, 2025) – The Chinese government’s October detentions of dozens of Christians from house churches indicate an acceleration of its campaign against religious freedom. Over the past two years, church leaders and congregants across the country appear to be increasingly targeted for arbitrary (read more…)

Joint Statement from Civil Society Groups on the Chinese Government’s Arbitrary Detention of Swedish publisher Gui Minhai

October 15, 2025 Comments Off

We, the undersigned press freedom, journalists’, human rights, international organisations, strongly condemn the Chinese government’s ongoing arbitrary detention of Swedish publisher and writer Gui Minhai on the 10th anniversary of his kidnapping.

China: End Decade-long Disappearance of Swedish Publisher Gui Minhai

October 13, 2025 Comments Off

(Chinese Human Rights Defenders, October 13, 2025)—Chinese authorities should immediately release Gui Minhai, a Swedish publisher disappeared, arbitrarily detained, and wrongfully prosecuted since 2015, and allow him to leave China.