Rights Lawyer Sentenced Again for Inciting Subversion
Xie Yang (谢阳), one of China’s most prominent human rights lawyers and a well-known figure from the “709” crackdown on rights attorneys, was sentenced to five years in prison for inciting subversion by the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court on March 23. The court also ordered the confiscation of 100,000 yuan in assets, with the conviction reportedly tied to comments he made in private WeChat exchanges. During the proceedings, no defense lawyer was permitted to participate, and aside from family members, the courtroom was reportedly filled with attendees arranged by authorities. Xie stated in court that he would appeal the judgment. His sentence is set to expire on January 10, 2027.
The sentence marks the latest chapter in a years-long campaign against one of the country’s most outspoken legal advocates—and notably, the second time he has been imprisoned on charges of inciting subversion. Beginning his legal practice in 2011, Xie built a reputation for taking politically sensitive cases involving land seizures, religious freedom, and abuses of public power, repeatedly placing him at odds with authorities. First swept up in the 2015 “709” crackdown and later detained again in 2022 after publicly supporting teacher Li Tiantian, Xie’s repeated prosecutions have made his case emblematic of the mounting pressure faced by rights lawyers and dissidents in China. The case has also drawn international scrutiny, with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finding that Xie’s detention since January 2022 constituted arbitrary detention and calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Independent Publisher Jailed
Beijing-based independent publisher Tu Jincan (涂金灿), founder of a private genealogy and memoir publishing business, was sentenced by the Haidian District Court to three years and six months’ imprisonment on March 24, 2026, for illegal business activity. Authorities alleged that his publishing activities violated regulatory controls on printing and distribution. The case followed nearly two and a half years of pre-trial detention, after his detention on November 21, 2023. His company had reportedly produced more than 5,000 family history and biography books for ordinary citizens over a 15-year period.
The case carries a strong political undertone, as reports indicate that the prosecution followed repeated official questioning, seizure of book inventories, customs interception of a genealogy publication, and financial penalties linked to state cultural oversight. Rights groups characterize the case as part of broader restrictions on independent publishing and civil expression in China rather than a purely commercial offense. He is scheduled for release on May 20, 2027.
Leftist Editor Detained in Expanding Land Dispute
Li Daoguo (李道国), editor-in-chief of the left-leaning website Utopia (乌有之乡), was criminally detained on allegations of extortion after being taken from his home in Beijing by police from Henan. On the evening of March 25, officers reportedly removed him from his residence in Haidian District and transferred him to Henan, where he is now being held at the Xinxiang Detention Center. The case is being handled by the criminal investigation unit of the Hui County Public Security Bureau, and the cross-provincial detention has quickly drawn attention among observers of civil rights and legal affairs.
At the center of the case is Li’s recent involvement in rights advocacy tied to environmental destruction, farmland damage, and alleged illegal mining in his hometown of Hui County, Henan Province. In the weeks leading up to his detention, he had been actively supporting local residents in filing petitions and complaints against private companies and local authorities over land degradation and unauthorized resource extraction. Although the formal charge is extortion, the timing of the detention has cast the case in a wider light, raising questions about the relationship between grassroots activism and the use of criminal law in disputes over land and environmental harm.
Lawyer Detained After Public Call to Abolish “Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble”
Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Kai (于凯) was reportedly taken into police custody on March 28 after traveling from Qingdao to Beijing and staging a protest outside the compound of the country’s highest judicial administrative authority. He held a banner calling for greater autonomy for bar associations and the abolition of licensing and annual inspection practices for lawyers, as well as informal blacklisting mechanisms. Authorities reportedly detained him on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
The detention is politically significant given Yu’s prior legal advocacy against the very offense now reportedly being used against him. In August 2023, he and five other lawyers jointly submitted a legislative proposal to the National People’s Congress calling for the abolition of the “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” arguing that its vague wording enables selective enforcement and undermines the credibility of criminal law. In July 2024, he was suspended from legal practice for one year by the Qingdao Judicial Bureau for allegedly “improperly hyping cases,” while his law firm was ordered to suspend operations for six months.
Trial Begins for Artist Gao Zhen
In March 2026, the trial of dissident artist Gao Zhen (高兟) began at the Sanhe City People’s Court in Hebei province. The closed-door hearing took place on March 30 and concluded without an immediate judgment. Family members and diplomatic observers were reportedly denied access to the courtroom, and a judgment is expected at a later date.