29 November 2023
Today marks International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. The 29 Principles wishes to commend the remarkable courage and resilience of women human rights defenders worldwide. Throughout our work, we have observed women human rights lawyers and defenders in China and Hong Kong steadfastly standing for justice and human rights, despite increasingly severe oppression. Some have been subjected to retaliation by the regime and are currently deprived of their freedom due to prolonged, arbitrary, and incommunicado detention.
Chow Hang Tung, a barrister-at-law and human rights advocate in Hong Kong, has been detained since September 2021, largely due to her advocacy as part of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Currently facing multiple charges, including ‘inciting subversion of state power’ under the HKNSL, Chow Hang Tung remains persistent in her advocacy and continues to expose human rights violations. She was recently awarded the Human Rights Award 2023 by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), recognising her efforts in raising awareness of the unfair treatment endured by herself and other human rights advocates. In September 2021, experts from the UN Human Rights Office issued a communication to China (UA CHN 10/2021), categorising Chow Hang Tung's detention as arbitrary.
Li Yuhan, a Chinese human rights lawyer who has been practising law since 1991, has consistently faced challenges due to her dedication to human rights. She became a target of stringent surveillance after representing Wang Yu, another Chinese human rights lawyer and woman human rights defender, who was the first lawyer detained in the 709 Crackdown. Li Yuhan has been detained since October 2017, spending over six years in detention without a verdict. Her case has attracted international attention. In July 2023, experts from the UN Human Rights Office issued a communication to China (AL CHN 11/2023), categorising Li Yuhan's detention as arbitrary and expressing concern about the impact on her health due to prolonged detention and ill-treatment. Because of her commitment in human rights advocacy, she was awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights in 2020.
Xu Yan, wife of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, has become a human rights advocate in her own right after extensively advocating for her husband following his detention in January 2018. Despite facing harassment and intimidation, she has remained unyielding in advocating for her husband and other human rights lawyers and defenders in China. Xu Yan and Yu Wensheng have been detained incommunicado since April 2023, initially on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, with later reports suggesting they may now be charged with inciting subversion of state power.
These women human rights defenders demonstrate their commitment in fighting for human rights and justice, and their stories are not merely narratives of oppression but also represent hope and resilience. On this International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, The 29 Principles reiterates its commitment to supporting and advocating for the rights and freedom of these brave women. We urge the global community to stand in solidarity, to maintain attention on their situation and to ensure justice prevails and their invaluable efforts in championing human rights are not in vain.