Five Chinese human rights lawyers, activists detained after secret gathering

Round-up started on Boxing Day, after about 20 rights defenders from around the country attended a clandestine meeting in Fujian province, pro-democracy activist says

Among those detained is former rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, who was sentenced to 3½ years in prison in 2014 for disrupting the public order

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Veteran pro-democracy activist and former lawyer Ding Jiaxi is among those detained under the latest crackdown on human rights defenders. Photo: Handout

Published: 7:06pm, 1 Jan 2020Updated: 8:55pm, 17 Feb 2020

At least five Chinese human rights lawyers and activists have been rounded up over the past week as part of a government crackdown that is set to continue into the new year, according to a Hong Kong-based organisation that works to protect human rights defenders in China.

As well as those being held in criminal detention – which under Chinese law is likely to lead to a formal charge – several other activists had gone missing after being approached by the police, the Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group said in a document published on Wednesday.

The round-up began on Boxing Day and was ongoing, it said.

Wu Yangwei, a pro-democracy activist based in the south China city of Guangzhou and a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre, said the crackdown came after a group of human rights lawyers and activists gathered for a secret meeting in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, in early December.

“It’s very obvious that they were targeted for [taking part in] the gathering,” said Wu, who also goes by the pseudonym Ye Du.

“The people who have been rounded up were all attendants.”

The detentions came after about 20 human rights activists gathered in the southeast China city of Xiamen. Photo: Shutterstock

About 20 people from across the country took part in the meeting, which lasted for about three days, Wu said.