Beijing, April 11 – A leading international human rights organization has called on Chinese authorities to ensure that human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng is allowed to reunite with his family in Beijing without restrictions ahead of his expected release from prison after nearly three years, following a conviction for “baseless subversion.”
According to Amnesty International, Yu Wensheng is due to be released on April 13 after completing a three-year sentence for “inciting the subversion of state power.”
He was arrested on April 13, 2023, along with his wife Xu Yan, while they were on their way to meet officials from the European Union in Beijing.
“If and when Yu Wensheng walks out of prison next week, his freedom cannot be partial. He must be allowed to return home, reunite with his family, and resume his life and work without surveillance, intimidation, or other restrictions on his rights,” said Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks.
Citing research published last year on the application by Chinese courts of national security provisions targeting human rights defenders, Amnesty International noted that in 38 of the 68 cases – including Yu’s – the defendant had been sentenced to “deprivation of political rights” after completing their prison sentence.
Condemning the incident, the rights body said that this “supplemental” sentence violates international standards and is used to justify ongoing harassment of activists to prevent them from continuing human rights work.
“Yu Wensheng was punished for defending people from alleged abuses of power and advocating for a fairer, more accountable system. He should never have been jailed in the first place, and his persecution must end the moment he is released,” Brooks stressed.
The rights body highlighted that Yu Wensheng previously served four years in prison between 2018 and 2022. It cited his wife, Xu, stating that during that period, she and her son were subjected to surveillance and harassment by the Chinese authorities.
She has stated that such activities continued during his current imprisonment, resulting in serious mental health impacts on their son, including after her release in January 2025.
Expressing concern over the wider crackdown on human rights defenders, Brooks said, “The suffering inflicted on Yu Wensheng’s family is a reminder of how China’s repression extends far beyond those it imprisons. The past impacts of this repression can never be undone, but the harm being done now can be stopped.”
“Yu Wensheng’s imprisonment was a clear attempt to send a warning to others in China who dare to defend human rights. Yet despite the government’s heavy-handed tactics, human rights defenders have refused to be silenced,” she added.