Renowned Chinese legal scholar Xu Zhiyong has been on a hunger strike since the beginning of this month in protest against the “encirclement” and deprivation of communication rights by the prison authorities, which has led to a significant drop in his body weight. Xu was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Chinese Communist authorities on charges of “subverting state power” in April last year.
According to a report from a rights defense website on October 24th, in order to protest against the illegal actions of the Lunan Prison and related personnel, as well as to defend his communication rights, the famous human rights defender Xu Zhiyong has been on a hunger strike for 20 days from October 4th to date, resulting in a loss of over 10 kilograms in a short period of time.
Reports indicate that in July of this year, there were rumors that Xu Zhiyong had been subjected to torture in the Lunan Prison, including having his name erased, forced labor, psychological abuse, deprivation of communication rights, and de facto solitary confinement.
According to Radio Free Asia, Luo Shengchun, the wife of Ding Jiaxi, who has long been advocating for Xu Zhiyong, stated that she tried to contact Xu Zhiyong’s family to gather more information, but his relatives were too scared to disclose any information.
Luo Shengchun said, “If Xu Zhiyong’s rights are guaranteed, and if his family members are not threatened, they would not hesitate to speak out or share any information with me. From this perspective, it is evident that one, the family members are certainly under great pressure, and two, Xu Zhiyong’s situation is not optimistic. The lack of information indicates the worst possible scenario.”
Wang Ying, who previously served as Xu Zhiyong’s defense lawyer, stated that Xu Zhiyong is not someone who would easily resort to a hunger strike. He only does so annually to mourn the Tiananmen Square protests. “This time, he (Xu Zhiyong) is facing torture, insults, discriminatory treatment, violation of communication and visitation rights, and other human rights abuses. Faced with such unbearable persecution and ‘invisible slaughter,’ he must take this drastic action to protest.”
Human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping, who has been closely monitoring Xu Zhiyong’s situation, explained that even going to the toilet or sleeping is monitored and disrupted, which is extremely inhumane and cruel psychological torture. It not only violates dignity but also deprives basic rights to rest and survival. He believes that Xu Zhiyong is facing harsher suppression tactics than before, which is related to political issues.
“Wang Ying said, “Why treat Dr. Xu this way? I think a major reason is because Xu Zhiyong wrote a book advising Xi Jinping to step down, thus triggering retaliation from the highest authorities. Xu Zhiyong is a typical case of being abused in prison, highlighting the deteriorating state of human rights under the CCP, which is becoming increasingly serious.”
Born in March 1973 in Minquan County, Shangqiu, Henan Province, Xu Zhiyong was a former lecturer at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He has been involved in abolishing the “Management of Urban Vagrants and Beggars” and founded the non-profit civil organization “Sunshine Constitutional and Social Sciences Research Center,” later renamed as “Gongmeng,” becoming a prominent figure in the legal community.
Xu Zhiyong has long been concerned with the rights of petitioners and human rights cases. In 2012, he spearheaded the “New Citizens Movement,” advocating for public disclosure of officials’ assets and educational equality, for which he was imprisoned for four years.
In December 2019, Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, rights advocates, and lawyers gathered in Xiamen. On the 26th of that month, the CCP authorities began arresting individuals involved in the gathering, with over 20 people subsequently disappearing, being summoned, or detained, and accused of inciting subversion of state power and provocation.
Xu Zhiyong has been in secret exile in southern China, during which his family and friends have been repeatedly harassed and monitored, and his girlfriend Li Qiaochu was also forcibly disappeared. On February 15, 2020, Xu Zhiyong was taken away by the Guangzhou police from lawyer Yang Bin’s residence on Haiou Island in Panyu.
On April 10th last year, Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the CCP authorities on charges of subverting state power, with his sentence set until February 14, 2034. Xu Zhiyong’s appeal was rejected in the second trial, upholding the original verdict.