Human rights organizations are expressing growing concern over the declining health of Xu Zhiyong, a noted Chinese legal scholar and human rights lawyer. Xu has been on a hunger strike for nearly a month, protesting his mistreatment during detention. For further details, see the report by the International Federation for Human Rights. Xu, a prominent figure in the New Citizens’ Movement, has been detained since February 2020 following his participation in a gathering advocating for governmental transparency and civil rights.
The hunger strike, which commenced on October 4, 2024, has increased anxiety regarding Xu’s rapidly declining health amidst the harsh conditions in Lunan Prison, Shandong Province. Reports suggest he has been denied access to legal counsel and faces communication restrictions with his family, along with a lack of medical care, adding to his hardships under intense surveillance and psychological harassment.
Xu was sentenced in April 2023 to a 14-year prison term, alongside his colleague Ding Jiaxi, who received a 12-year sentence. They were charged with “subversion of state power” following their involvement in a December 2019 meeting. The trial was conducted behind closed doors with procedural anomalies, including the exclusion of family and diplomats, alongside forced non-disclosure agreements on their legal teams. Amnesty International and other rights bodies have criticized these charges as politically motivated, aiming to suppress dissent. See Amnesty International’s latest update for more details.
The repression of human rights advocates in China, especially those focusing on freedom of expression and assembly, has raised significant concern among international entities such as Human Rights Watch and the European Union. Maya Wang, the Associate Director for China at Human Rights Watch, indicated that the hunger strike underscores the severity of the conditions Xu faces. Xu’s case exemplifies a broader civil society crackdown under President Xi Jinping, where national security laws are increasingly utilized against activists and government critics.
Global human rights organizations are calling for China to release Xu and all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, urging an end to using “subversion” charges for peaceful dissent. Statements from Amnesty International and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders emphasize the need for the immediate and unconditional release of both Xu and Ding, advocating for their well-being. The global community continues to press China to uphold the fundamental rights of its imprisoned activists, as highlighted by ongoing coverage from leading international organizations, view more at the Amnesty International report.