Chinese activists blocked from leaving homes on Human Rights Day

Wang Quanzhang says officers prevented him and his wife from going outside by themselves

EU Delegation to China hits out at ‘systematically violated’ civil and political rights in the country

Reading Time:1 minute

Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang (left) says he and his wife Li Wenzu have been stopped from leaving their home in Beijing. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:15pm, 10 Dec 2021

Chinese human rights lawyers and activists said they were blocked from leaving their homes this week ahead of events to mark Friday’s UN Human Rights Day.

China has seen a dramatic crackdown on civil liberties and freedoms since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, with hundreds of human rights lawyers and activists detained or placed under monitoring in recent years.

Wang Quanzhang, a human rights lawyer detained for 4½ years as part of a sweeping crackdown on human rights defenders, said police were blocking him and his wife from leaving their Beijing flat unattended.

“They told us directly that there were two reasons, one was the US democracy summit, and they were also worried we would take part in World Human Rights Day,” Wang, who was released last year, said.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday held a virtual summit of more than 100 nations to discuss threats to democracy – with China pointedly left off the guest list.

Beijing police could not be reached for comment.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x