2 September 2022
Chinese human rights lawyer Li Yuhan has been detained for almost five years since October 2017. The 73-year-old lawyer has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment whilst in detention and is in poor health. Her brother said she suffered from several diseases including coronary heart disease and gastric ulcer but she is not allowed to receive the proper treatment. Her lawyer, who visited Li last month, said her vision and hearing have rapidly declined and immediate medical check-up and treatment are vital for her health.
Li Yuhan is a veteran human rights lawyer in China who took on numerous human rights cases. Having represented Wang Yu in the “709 crackdown”, she became one of the targets of the authorities and it is believed that they arrested her in retaliation. She was awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights in 2020.
The 29 Principles urges the Chinese Government to release Li Yuhan immediately and calls for international attention to her case.