【Epoch Times News on February 23, 2026】The results of the 2026 “Oscar China Freedom and Human Rights Award” were announced on Saturday the 21st at the June 4 Memorial Hall. Four brave individuals who have long resisted the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party, along with all members of a newly formed opposition party sentenced for forming a party, were honored together.
The awards ceremony was conducted both on-site and online, and the results were announced by veteran of the China Democracy Party, Zhu Yufu. The four individual awardees are Zhu Chengzhi, Chang Jiaxuan, Dong Guangping, and Wang Yifei, while the “China Democratic Victory Party,” founded in 2009, received the group award.
Each of the four individual award winners has faced various challenges – some have spent years in prison and were just released, while others remain incarcerated. Some have toiled in obscurity while others are young newcomers to the fight for rights and freedoms.
At 76 years old, Zhu Chengzhi, a former businessman from Shaoyang, Hunan province, turned activist after his assets were confiscated. He has actively supported other activists and democracy advocates, enduring multiple arrests and torture.
Chang Jiaxuan, a rights activist from Linfen City, Shanxi Province, embarked on the path of activism after his family’s property was seized by the CCP. He courageously speaks out for those persecuted by the regime and actively participates in rights activities. In 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison until last April.
Dong Guangping, a former mainland Chinese police officer turned human rights advocate, has been imprisoned multiple times for his activism. In 2001, he was sentenced to three years for commemorating June 4th and promoting democracy, and in 2023 he was sentenced to 11 months for illegal border crossing by the CCP.
Born in 1985, Wang Yifei is one of the founders of the China Democratic Victory Party and is currently incarcerated. In 2022, six members of the party were secretly arrested and convicted: Tang Gaofeng was sentenced to 12 years, Wang Wei to 8 years, Wang Yifei to 7 and a half years, Zhou Dan to 6 years, Liu Zhengang to 5 and a half years, and Dai Lu to 3 years. They jointly received the group award.
One of the organizers of the award event is the California Freedom Sculpture Park. The park’s founder and sculptor Chen Weiming stated that there are thousands of brave individuals fighting against tyranny and participating in rights movements, all of whom are equally courageous and deserving of recognition. Chen expressed regret that the award could only recognize four individuals and one group.
Chen Weiming emphasized that these activists on the front lines fighting against tyranny have shown courage, responsibility, intelligence, and integrity, not inferior to the stars leaving their mark on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “This is the glory they deserve, and more people should know about them,” he said.
Before announcing the award winners, Zhu Yufu stated that the Oscar China Freedom and Human Rights Award judging has persisted for more than a decade. He underscored the importance of supporting domestic democracy movements as a moral imperative for overseas democracy advocacy, as the domestic movement forms the root of international democracy activism. “This award event sends a strong signal to domestic activists, letting them know that we are one family and that we stand behind them,” he said.
According to the organizers, after soliciting recommendations from human rights lawyers, activists, prominent internet figures, participants in the 1989 democracy movement, and others, a total of 19 individuals and 2 groups made it to the selection list.
Among the awardees are friends of Zhu Yufu who visited him while under surveillance. Reflecting on this, he said, “They are all strong and proactive in China, they came to see me, showing no fear.”
Regarding the collective sentencing of China Democratic Victory Party members, Zhu Yufu noted that the party was formed not long ago, with several members being young people. He believes that the formation of such organizations is crucial in advancing democracy in China.
“I feel that movements like these (civil resistance movements) will spring up like mushrooms after rain; when there are only a few, the Party can handle it, but if they sprout everywhere, it won’t be able to cope,” Zhu Yufu said. “We are now waiting for a spring rain, and that time is not far away.”
Due to the CCP’s information blockade, initially, little was known about the China Democratic Victory Party case. Committee member Wang Yingguo said it took him a long time to learn the details: “Several key figures in this party are basically young and sunny, some also have a handsome image.”
Wang Yingguo also praised the long-time rights activists who have resisted tyranny. He stated that Zhu Chengzhi and Chang Jiaxuan have endured severe persecution and torment and intends to identify more individuals like them to commend their courage and influence.
Zhang Zhijun, a member of the China Democratic Party who participated in the judging, stated that the event had selected some grassroots heroes, “making more people aware of what they are doing, making their actions more meaningful.”
She believes that the “Oscar China Freedom and Human Rights Award” connects domestic and international democracy forces, conveying the voices of the Chinese people in the fight for freedom and human rights, which is “extremely valuable.”
The organizers of the selection event include the Los Angeles China Democratic Platform, the Freedom Sculpture Park, and the Los Angeles China Democratic Party Committee. Participants in the judging included June 4 eyewitnesses, prominent internet figures, domestic human rights lawyers, rights activists, democracy advocates, and media reporters. The advisors included Su Xiaokang, Zhu Yufu, Lin Jinpeng, Chen Liqun Chen Weiming, Zhou Fengsuo, Fang Zheng, Feng Congde, Jin Xiuhong, Wang Dan, Sheng Xue, and others. ◇