Women Defenders | Chinese Human Rights Defenders

Cao Zhixin (曹芷馨)

March 24, 2023 Comments Off

As Cao Zhixin’s lawyers and family are unlawfully being prevented from seeing her, Cao remains in incommunicado detention, and as such, is at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Crime(s): “”; “inciting subversion” Length of Punishment: Court: Trial Date: Sentencing Date: Dates of Arrest: June 4, 2021 for “” Date of Arrest: September 8, 2021 for “inciting subversion” On 4 June 2021, Chow Hang-tung was arrested for allegedly promoting an unauthorized assembly on the 32ndanniversary of the pro-democracy Tiananmen movement. Every (read more…)

Huang Xueqin (黄雪琴)

March 31, 2022 Comments Off

“Being a journalist is not a crime.” Read the defender portrait of Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist and #MeToo movement leader authorities in Guangzhou have held since September 2021 for “inciting subversion of state authority.”

Zhang Zhan 张展

September 3, 2020 Comments Off

Shanghai police criminally detained citizen journalist and activist Zhang Zhan (张展) on May 15, 2020, on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” She had initially gone missing on May 14 in Wuhan. On June 19, 2020, Pudong New Distict Procuratorate approved the formal arrest of Zhang. She is being (read more…)

Liu Yanli (刘艳丽)

June 19, 2020 Comments Off

Liu Yanli, 45, was formerly an employee at a bank in Jingmen City, Hubei province and a blogger. In recent years, she has repeatedly posted comments online calling for support for the army veterans who fought during the Anti-Japan (Second World) War. She also called for disclosure of officials’ assets. (read more…)

Li Qiaochu (李翘楚)

June 5, 2020 Comments Off

Li Qiaochu, a Beijing activist focusing on women’s and labor rights, was taken into custody in the early morning of February 16, 2020, and then forcibly disappeared. Both her location and case details, including any criminal charges, remain unknown. Li’s case is believed to be linked to her human rights (read more…)

CHRD Communiqué Alleging Arbitrary Detention of Huang Xueqin – December 19, 2019

January 10, 2020 Comments Off

Submission to: Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Communiqué on Behalf of HUANG Xueqin, Citizen of the People’s Republic (read more…)

He Fangmei 何方美

November 26, 2019 Comments Off

He Fangmei, an advocate for vaccination safety, was criminally detained in March 2019, after being forcibly returned to her home province of Henan from Beijing. Ms. He had been in Beijing demonstrating with other families whose children had been stricken with illness or disability due to faulty vaccines. Her detention (read more…)

Chen Jianfang 陈建芳

May 31, 2019 Comments Off

Chen Jianfang 陈建芳 Criminal charge/s: “Subversion of state power” Length of Punishment: 4 years and 6 months Court: Shanghai No.1 Intermediate people’s court Trial Date: 19 March 2021 Appeal: August 5, 2022 (verdict) Sentencing Date: August 5, 2022 (verdict) Dates of Detention/Arrest: March 20, 2019 (enforced disappearance); May 22, 2019 (formal arrest); August 30, 2019 (read more…)

Yue Xin 岳昕

June 30, 2020 Comments Off

Yue Xin, a 2018 graduate of Peking University, has emerged as a leading voice in China’s #MeToo movement as well as a strong advocate for workers’ rights. She was disappeared on August 24, 2018, when police raided an apartment complex in Shenzhen and seized her and about 50 other students (read more…)

Ding Lingjie (丁灵杰)

May 23, 2018 Comments Off

Ding Lingjie 丁灵杰 (released) Crime: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble Length of Punishment: 20 months Court: Shijingshan District People’s Court, Beijing Trial Date: December 28, 2018 Sentencing Date: December 28, 2018 Dates of Detention/Arrest: September 22, 2017 (criminal detention); October 19, 2017 (formal arrest); July 16, 2018 (indicted); May 21, 2019 (released) (read more…)

Xu Qin (徐秦)

May 23, 2018 Comments Off

Xu Qin 徐秦 2021 Detention Criminal charge: Inciting subversion of state power Length of Punishment: N/A Court: Courtroom inside the Yangzhou City Detention Center Trial Date: November 7, 2022 Sentencing Date: N/A 2018 Detention Dates of Detention/Arrest: February 9, 2018 (detention); February 10, 2018 (criminal detention); March 11, 2018 (transferred into “residential surveillance in (read more…)