Recently released from prison, human rights activist Ms. Xu Qin, former secretary-general of China Human Rights Watch, has been admitted to a hospital. Xu Qin has been under constant surveillance by three to five guards at home after her release, who followed her to the hospital and are stationed in her ward.
According to Ms. Wu from the Rose Team, “Xu Qin was admitted to the hospital recently and the guards assigned by Gaoyou government are also staying in the ward with her. Xu Qin felt like she was walking on ‘cotton’ and was admitted to Gaoyou City Hospital. During her detention at Yangzhou detention center, she protested against endless forced confessions and prolonged trial delays by going on three hunger strikes (without water or medication), the longest lasting 12 days. Xu Qin was diagnosed with ‘cerebral white matter changes’ after being transferred to prison, with doctors indicating it as a precursor to senile dementia.”
Xu Qin was wrongfully sentenced to 4 years by the Chinese Communist Party on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and was released on July 11. Currently, her family is under severe surveillance and maintaining silence towards the outside world.
Wu mentioned, “Since Xu Qin’s release, there have been people monitoring her doorstep every day with listening devices installed in her home. Showing signs of brain atrophy, she needs quiet rest due to her poor health, yet the authorities have not provided her with a peaceful environment. We are extremely concerned about her health.”
According to sources, before Xu Qin’s release, there were rumors that the local security forces were planning to rent a house near her residence to permanently monitor her. Although she now resides at home, her freedom of speech and personal liberty are restricted.
Xu Qin, 63, from Gaoyou County, Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province, previously served as the former secretary-general of the non-governmental human rights organization China Human Rights Watch and was a member of the Rose Team.
Xu Qin advocated for the families of 709 lawyers, dissidents, and petitioners. On January 31, 2018, she was taken away by the police and criminally detained, later arrested on charges of the so-called “inciting subversion of state power.”
During her detention, Xu Qin faced torture and interrogation, was held in solitary confinement, deprived of sleep and medical treatment, resulting in a rapid deterioration of her health with cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction, leaving her paralyzed and unable to stand for several months. The detention center refused her requests for medical treatment outside.
The authorities cited “lack of evidence” to prolong Xu Qin’s trial for 12 times, causing immense harm to her physical and mental well-being. In response, Xu Qin went on three hunger strikes, with the final one lasting 12 days without water or medication, subjected to forced feeding three times, severely damaging her body, leading to cerebellar lesions and noticeable memory decline.
On March 29, 2024, Xu Qin was sentenced to 4 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and deprived of political rights for 2 years by the Yangzhou Intermediate People’s Court, released on parole on July 11, 2025.