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Citizens' Square

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Citizens’ Square is a virtual Democracy Wall for individuals from China to share their stories online in personal narratives, open letters, statements, and case descriptions, and through photos, court documents, and videos. While most of the posted items are in Chinese, HRIC provides in English the title and a descriptive summary of each item. On occasion, HRIC also provides English translation of the contents of the item itself.

Launched in spring 2010, Citizens’ Square has served as an uncensored platform for petitioners, rights defenders, lawyers, and other citizens to expose corruption and official malfeasance, publicize cases of abuse ranging from illegal detention to kidnapping and torture, and issue public statements, including calls for official accountability and transparency and appeals for just compensation for forced evictions.

The expansion of this virtual Democracy Wall reflects the powerful desire among Chinese citizens to assert their rights and the growing citizen activism in China. Postings on Citizens’ Square have also helped individuals and groups bring international press attention to their cases.

In Citizens’ Square, journalists, researchers, and the general public can learn more about individual cases.

Items 101 - 150 of 629
Second Instance Trial of Case of “Bandit Mao” and “Steamed Bun” Opens on March 30 in Zhaoyuan, Shandong
On March 30, the second instance trial of Wang Jiangfeng, arrested on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” for referring to Mao Zedong as “Bandit Mao” and Xi Jinping as “Steamed Bun” in online posts, opened at the Zhaoyuan City Detention Center, Yantai, Shandong Province. Wang’s...
March 31, 2017
Citizens' Square
Three Domestic Security Agencies Prevent Shi Tao from Participating in Poetry Association Meeting
Now out of prison for close to four years, Ningxia poet Shi Tao is a member of the Shanghai Writers’ Association’s third creative writing class for young people. He received an invitation to attend a poetry association meeting held in Ningbo, and began preparation for the event. However, three...
July 5, 2017
Citizens' Square
Lawyer Yu Wensheng Accuses Municipal Bureau of Justice of Illegally Depriving Him of the Right to Practice Law
Lawyer Yu Wensheng filed a criminal complaint with the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate requesting that Miao Lin, the Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, and others involved be held legally accountable for abusing their power in using the annual renewal of law licenses to suppress...
July 23, 2017
Citizens' Square
Yu Wensheng
Law-Abiding Citizens Kidnapped and Blackmailed by Chinese Mafia Linked to Zhangjiakou Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Committee Members
In a letter to Human Rights in China, Zhang Bo, a mainland Chinese living in the United States, outlines the abduction, blackmail, and injury his brother Zhang Jian and his wife suffered for attempting to recover money from construction work they were owed. In the account, Zhang Bo alleges that...
May 23, 2017
Citizens' Square
Lawyer Lin Qilei Reports on Li Xiaoling’s Condition
On the afternoon of June 7, Lin Qilei met with Guangdong rights activist Li Xiaoling at the Beijing Xicheng District Detention Center. In the meeting, Li said that previously, because of delay caused by the Zhuhai police, the treatment she had received in Guangzhou for her acute glaucoma was not...
June 7, 2017
Citizens' Square
Regarding the Request to Establish a Special Independent Committee to Investigate Torture Claims Relating to the Handling of “709” Cases
Reports continue to expose the serious human rights violations committed against lawyers and activists arrested in the 709 Crackdown. In addition to attorneys Xie Yang, Li Heping, Li Chunfu, as well as activist Wu Gan, many rights defenders caught up in the crackdown are reported to have been...
May 14, 2017
Citizens' Square
Li Heping
Open Letter: Huang Qi’s Mother Calls For Medical Parole for Son
After Huang Qi, director of 64 Tianwang website, was arrested for “illegally providing state secrets abroad” his 84-year-old mother Pu Wenqing once again urges the Chinese government in this open letter to release her son for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds. Huang Qi—who has been...
August 3, 2017
Citizens' Square
Huang Qi
My Second Statement on Refusing Officially-Appointed Lawyers
Among the detainees of the “709” crackdown, lawyer Wang Quanzhang is the only one about whom there had not been any news for nearly two years since his detention in August 2015. The authorities not only denied him access to the lawyers retained by his wife, but also suppressed the lawyers. Recently...
July 25, 2017
Citizens' Square
709 Families and Supporters
Poem: “The Path of Darkness”
This poem by Liu Xia, written in 2010 for the then detained Liu Xiaobo, was circulated online on July 14, 2017, the day after Liu Xiaobo died of liver cancer. [Translation by Human Rights in China] Chinese Original I know, one day, sooner or later You’ll leave me And walk alone down the path of...
July 24, 2017
Citizens' Square
Liu Xia
To Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia
At the request of the Tiananmen Mothers, HRIC issues the group’s message to Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia (below). [Translation by Human Rights in China] Xiaobo: Although you lost your freedom and lost your life, you still possess the great love of the world, which no one on Earth can match. In our hearts...
July 14, 2017
Citizens' Square
Liu Xia
Is the Supreme People’s Court the Highest Form of “Government Window Dressing”?
Today we went to the entrance of the Supreme People’s Court. The bailiff was blocking the way of an elderly woman petitioner. But when he saw us, he let us through, and called on his mobile to inform the authorities inside: “They have arrived and are going in.” Wenzu and I exchanged a knowing smile...
June 23, 2017
Citizens' Square
709 Families and Supporters
Detained for Five Days for Attending June Fourth Anniversary Gathering in 2017
Sun Wenguang, retired professor of Shandong University School of Management, after attending a June Fourth anniversary gathering on May 24, was picked up on June 1 by individuals believed to be public security personnel. Sun was taken to a guest house and his cell phone was confiscated. He was sent...
June 7, 2017
Citizens' Square
Solemn Statement Regarding the Forceful Dismissal of Jiang Tianyong’s Defense Lawyers
Jiang Tianyong’s wife is shocked to hear her husbad’s statement dismissing his two defense lawyers, and does not believe that this is Jiang’s true wish. She presumes that Jiang Tianyong’s statement—signed on the day when his six-months of residential surveillance expired—was the product of torture...
May 31, 2017
Citizens' Square
709 Families and Supporters
Chen Guiqiu’s Statement of Condemnation Regarding Xie Yang’s Trial
On May 8, Xie Yang, a human rights lawyer detained during the 709 Crackdown and charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and “disrupting court order,” was tried in a so-called open first instance trial at Changsha Intermediate People's Court. In court, Xie admitted to his alleged crimes,...
May 8, 2017
Citizens' Square
Xie Yang
Xie Yang’s Wife Chen Guiqiu Exposes Source of Torture News for the First Time and Refutes All CCTV Lies
After the international community strongly condemned the alleged torture of attorney Xie Yang who was detained in the 709 Crackdown, the Chinese official media CCTV attempted a rebuttal. On March 2, 2017, CCTV reported that a thorough investigation had been conducted, which, drawing on various...
May 6, 2017
Citizens' Square
Xie Yang
Feng Zhenghu Applies For Open Government Information on Length of Restriction on his Travel
Activist Feng Zhenghu from Shanghai was denied departure from Pudong International Airport on October 5, 2015. The border police stated that his departure could potentially “harm national security,” allegedly in connection with the 709 Crackdown. In February of this year, when Feng was granted a...
April 16, 2017
Citizens' Square
Feng Zhenghu
Meeting Chen Qitang on Final Date of Appeal Period
Activist Chen Qitang (also known as Tian Li), from Foshan, Guangdong Province, was convicted of “subversion of state power” on March 31, 2017 and sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. On the final date of the appeal period (April 10, 2017), his lawyer, Li Fangping, met him at the Nanhai...
April 10, 2017
Citizens' Square
Chen Yunfei Sentenced to 4-Years Imprisonment for “Picking Quarrels and Provoking Troubles” (Chen Yunfei’s FinalStatement in Court Attached)
On March 31, 2017, renowned Sichuan dissident and activist Chen Yunfei was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by Chengdu Wuhou District Court on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles.” As he listened to the judgment, Chen gestured the “peace” sign with both hands, and said he...
March 31, 2017
Citizens' Square
Chen Yunfei
Huang Qi Case Update
On February 21, 2017, the mother of detained rights activist Huang Qi, retained two lawyers, Sui Muqing and Li Jinglin, to go to the state security unit of the Mianyang Municipal Public Security Bureau to request that the person handling Huang’s case provide information on his case, in accordance...
February 21, 2017
Citizens' Square
Huang Qi
First Meeting with Su Changlan Since the Verdict
On the morning of April 6, after the verdict was announced on March 31 in her trial, Su Changlan was finally permitted to meet with her lawyer for the first time. Su told her lawyer that although she had predicted the verdict, after it was announced she felt angry and upset. Moreover, she believes...
April 9, 2017
Citizens' Square
Su Changlan
Lawyers’ Statement Regarding Global Times’ “Interview” with Jiang Tianyong
Beijing human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong has been detained since November 21, 2016, and has been denied meetings with lawyers and family. It was reported that he accepted an interview with the Global Times . Jiang’s defense lawyers Chen Jinxue and Tan Chenshou released a statement pointing out...
March 1, 2017
Citizens' Square
Jiang Tianyong
Beijing Activist Ni Yulan Forcibly Removed from Apartment Rented for RMB 40,000 (with photos)
A few days ago, Beijing activist Ni Yulan spent RMB 40,000 to rent an apartment, only then to be harassed by the real estate broker and the landlord, who asked her to move, claiming that the apartment is public housing and not authorized for rental (but when she was renting the apartment, the...
April 16, 2017
Citizens' Square
Before and After Meeting with Xie Yang
In response to the report published by the Party mouthpiece The Global Times, on March 1, entitled “Investigation Reveals Fake ‘Torture Stories’ About Lawyer Xie Yang,” Xie Yang’s lawyer Chen Jiangang published, on the following day, “My Meetings with Xie Yang, Before and After.” Chen’s article...
March 2, 2017
Citizens' Square
Updates Regarding Recent Trip to Changsha for a Meeting with Xie Yang
Liu Zhengqing, defense lawyer for human rights lawyer Xie Yang who was arrested in the “709” Crackdown, went to Changsha No. 2 Detention Centre to apply to meet with Xie. He was told that he “would receive a reply within 48 hours.” After the 48 hours had passed, not only was there no meeting...
March 2, 2017
Citizens' Square
Xie Yang
Request to Conduct New Investigate into the Torture of Xie Yang
Prosecutor Yang Zhongping from the Hunan Provincial People’s Procuratorate stated, in a China Central Television (CCTV) report entitled “Investigation into the Truth of Xie Yang’s ‘Torture,’” that western media reports of the alleged torture of lawyer Xie were not based in facts. CCTV also...
March 10, 2017
Citizens' Square
Xie Yang
Su Changlan and Chen Qitang Separately Convicted on March 31, in Foshan Intermediate Court
Human rights activists Su Changlan and Chen Qitang (also known as Tian Li), both from Foshan, Guangdong Province, were tried for and convicted of “subversion of state power” on March 31, 2017 in Foshan Intermediate Court. In separate announcements, the court sentenced Su to three-years’...
March 31, 2017
Citizens' Square
Su Changlan
Families of 709 to President Trump (Fourth Letter)
March 26, 2017 (Sent on April 4, 2017) In advance of the China-U.S. Summit, the wives of Li Heping, Wang Quanzhang, and Jiang Tianyong—lawyers arrested during the “709 Crackdown”—jointly sent their fourth open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump. In their letter, they cite police misconduct in...
March 26, 2017
Citizens' Square
709 Families and Supporters
Meeting Chen Qitang on Final Date of Appeal Period
Activist Chen Qitang (also known as Tian Li), from Foshan, Guangdong Province, was convicted of “subversion of state power” on March 31, 2017 and sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. On the final date of the appeal period (April 10, 2017), his lawyer, Li Fangping, met him at the Nanhai...
April 10, 2017
Citizens' Square
Letter from Ding Zilin to Mrs. Lois Snow
Ding Zilin, mother of Jiang Jielian, who was shot and killed, at age 17, on the night of June 3, 1989, is a founder of the Tiananmen Mothers group. Mrs. Lois Snow is the widow of the late Edgar Snow, American journalist and author of Red Star Over China (1937), widely regarded as one of the most...
March 27, 2017
Citizens' Square
Ding Zilin
Authorities Bar Lawyers from Meeting with Forced Demolition Victim and Murder Suspect, Ming Jingguo
On March 20, authorities prevented lawyers Guo Lianhui and Liu Wenhua from meeting with their client, Ming Jingguo, who is being held at the Nankang District Detention Center in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province. Ming, age 60+, was taken into custody on March 18, a day after he attacked a Zhangfang Village...
March 20, 2017
Citizens' Square
Lawyer Defends Innocence of Wang Fang in Court
On February 10, 2017, rights defender Wang Fang’s case was heard by the Wuchang District Court, in the city of Wuhan. In a defense statement, Wang’s defense lawyer, Liu Zhengqing, maintained his client’s innocence. Liu said the charge against Wang of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” has no...
February 10, 2017
Citizens' Square
Accused of “Subversion of State Power,” Su Changlan Is Being Held Illegally, Argues her Attorney
On February 12, the third extension of the three-month pre-trial detention period for activist Su Changlan of Foshan, Guangdong, expired. Each extension required the approval by the Supreme People’s Court. When Su’s defense lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan asked Foshan Intermediate Court whether it had received...
February 13, 2017
Citizens' Square
Su Changlan
Video: Lawyer Chen Jiangang Stands By “Transcripts of Meetings with Xie Yang,” Denounces State Media
In this half-hour video, lawyer Chen Jiangang details his meetings with his client lawyer Xie Yang, who alleges torture by detention personnel, and the process of the compiling his “ Transcripts of Meetings with Xie Yang .” Chen states that he stands by the veracity of his Transcripts, and will...
March 10, 2017
Citizens' Square
Transcripts of Meetings with Lawyer Xie Yang in January 2017
On January 18, lawyer Chen Jiangang published online the transcripts of a series of meetings that month he and fellow lawyer Liu Zhengqing had with detained attorney Xie Yang, who has been held since July 2015 as a result of the 709 crackdown. The transcripts, amounting to more than 17, 000 Chinese...
January 13, 2017
Citizens' Square
Calling on NPC Deputies and CPPCC Committee Members to Submit Motions, Proposals, or Recommendations on the Prevention of Torture and Ill-treatment
Dear NPC Deputies and CPPCC Committee Members: During the upcoming Two Congresses of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the relevant motions, proposals, and recommendations submitted by NPC Deputies and CPPCC Committee members will surely...
March 2, 2017
Citizens' Square
709 Families and Supporters
Update on Xie Yang (One of the Lawyers in 709 Crackdown)
In the below statement, Lawyer Liu Zhengqing tells of the process he had to go through to become Xie Yang’s legal representative and to meet with him in person. Liu writes of how Xie informed him about a number of things that happened while Xie was held under residential surveillance. For instance...
December 10, 2016
Citizens' Square
My Solemn Statement Regarding Wuhou Court’s Confiscation of My Computer During Chen Yunfei’s Trial
Sichuan rights defender Chen Yunfei was accused of "picking quarrels and provoking troubles," and was tried at Wuhou Court in Chengdu, Sichuan, on December 26, 2016. During the trial, the court forcibly confiscated the computer belonging to Chen’s defense lawyer Liu Zhengqing, claiming that Liu was...
December 26, 2016
Citizens' Square
Just Who Was Actually Destroying Electoral Order?
In the afternoon of November 14, 2016, independent candidate Feng Zhenghu who was running for one of the deputies to the Yangpu District People's Congress in Shanghai, was lawfully handing out canvassing materials for his campaign when individuals from his neighborhood security office tried to stop...
December 25, 2016
Citizens' Square
Feng Zhenghu
On Election Day, the Ballot Box Is Delivered to My House, and Students Were Made to Vote in the Lobby
During the elections for deputies to the Jinan district and township level People's Congresses, Sun Wenguang, an independent candidate and retired professor of Shandong University, was imprisoned in his home for several days under round-the-clock watch by public security officers. In the article...
December 23, 2016
Citizens' Square
Xu Peiling and Three Other Shanghai Campaign Volunteers Apply for State Compensation
Xu Peiling, Cui Fufang, Fan Guijuan, and Dai Zhongyao—four volunteers of independent candidate Feng Zhenghu’s campaign for People’s Deputy of Shanghai’s Yangpu District—were illegally detained on November 13, 2016, by officers from the Wujiaochang police sub-station of the Yangpu Public Security...
December 17, 2016
Citizens' Square
Statement Regarding Criminal Coercive Measures Imposed by the Public Security Department against Jiang Tianyong
Jin Bianling, wife of detained human rights defense lawyer Jiang Tianyong, has released a statement in response to the December 16 report published by “The Paper,” a state run media outlet, on Jiang’s situation. The report describes the imposition of criminal coercive measures against Jiang, as...
December 16, 2016
Citizens' Square
Jiang Tianyong
Does Lou Jiwei’s Exit Audit Report Count as a “State Secret”?
In February 2016, 80-year-old Beijing resident Wang Xiuying applied to the National Audit Office for “Open Information on the Exit Audit Report of Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, legal representative of China Investment Corporation and Central Huijin Investment Company Ltd.” The National Audit Office...
October 14, 2016
Citizens' Square
Su Changlan Commences Weekly Hunger Strikes to Protest Abuse in Detention Center (see attached “Hunger Strike Diary”)—Lawyer Wu Kuiming Describes Meeting with Su Changlan
Human rights defender Su Changlan, of Foshan, Guangdong, has been in detention since 2014 and is still waiting for a verdict on her April 2016 trial for “inciting subversion of state power.” She recently told her lawyer that she had been disciplined in detention because she had used pure water with...
December 8, 2016
Citizens' Square
Statement by Xie Yang 's Wife to Chinese lawyers
In her statement, Chen Guiqiu, wife of lawyer Xie Yang who was detained in the 709 crackdown, calls attention to the procedural violations committed by the authorities with regard to her husband’s case. The two lawyers she retained to serve as her husband’s defense lawyers, Zhang Chongshi and Lin...
October 9, 2016
Citizens' Square
Lawyer Yan Xin’s Letter of Complaint Sent to Tianjin Municipal Procuratorate
Fujian activist Wu Gan (aka Tufu) has suffered numerous forms of illegal mistreatment during his detention, including secret solitary confinement for half a year, having the defense attorney appointed by his wife barred from meeting with him, days and nights of sleep deprivation, threats and...
December 16, 2016
Citizens' Square
The Human Rights Situation of Xie Yanyi’s Wife and Child
Human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi went missing in July 2015 as part of the 709 crackdown; it was not until January 2016 that his family finally received official notice of his arrest. Not only were his family members denied the right to hire a lawyer; they were also followed and surveilled 24 hours a...
December 10, 2016
Citizens' Square
Indictment of Lawyer Xie Yang for “Inciting Subversion” and “Disrupting Court Order”
Human rights lawyer Xie Yang, from Changsha city, Hunan, was originally arrested during the "709” crackdown in 2015 and was not allowed to meet with his lawyers until December 2016. In addition, his lawyer Liu Zhengqing did not receive Xie’s indictment until January 4, 2017. The indictment claims...
December 16, 2016
Citizens' Square
Lawyer Li Heping Indicted for "Subversion of State Power"
Wang Qiaoling went to the No. 2 branch of the Tianjin Municipal Procuratorate to inquire about the criminal charge against her husband, human rights attorney Li Heping who was arrested in the "709 crackdown.” In the below account of her experience that day, Wang explains that, after referring to...
December 8, 2016
Citizens' Square
A Chief Justice Like Zhou Qiang Must Leave: An Open Letter Urging Zhou Qiang to Resign
Seventy-six well-known Chinese individuals, including legal scholars, practicing lawyers, economists, publishers, documentary filmmakers, writers, and poets, have joined in an open letter to ask for the resignation of Zhou Qiang, President and Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court. In a...
January 19, 2017
Citizens' Square
First Class Action Lawsuit against “Reversion of Employment Age” Finally Registered --Four Initiators of the “Civil Proposal” File Suit against Ministry Of Human Resources and Social Security, and Await Trial
Through the current policy of “reversion of employment age,” a significant number of people who underwent Reform-through-Labor, or who were fired or dismissed, or who voluntarily resigned from their jobs are unable to claim pension and medical insurance otherwise accumulated from their time working...
October 13, 2016
Citizens' Square

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