Lawyers' Database
Throughout his legal career, Ding Jiaxi not only supported Beijing's petitioners but also became a steadfast advocate for the rights of migrant workers' children, emphasising their right to partake in college entrance exams at their current residence. His commitment to civil rights and transparency in China is further underscored by his co-founding of the “New Citizens' Movement”. This initiative, aimed at fostering political reforms, government transparency, and the consistent application of the rule of law in China, became a significant part of his advocacy. In 2012, Ding Jiaxi collaborated with legal scholar Xu Zhiyong to pen an open letter to Xi Jinping and other top government officials in China. The essence of the letter was a call for the disclosure of personal assets by these officials. This endeavour garnered considerable support. Ding Jiaxi played an instrumental role in coordinating activities across various cities, driving the campaign for officials to disclose their assets. Because of his continuous advocacy work, Ding Jiaxi was subjected to severe oppression, including long prison sentences.
Crackdown against the “New Citizen Movement” (2013); 2019 “Xiamen Gathering” Crackdown
17th August 1967: Born in Yichang, Hubei Province.
1990-1996: After graduating from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Ding Jiaxi worked as an engineer.
1996: Transitioned to a career in law, and began working as a lawyer in Beijing
2010: Ding Jiaxi is a co-founder of the “New Citizens’ Movement”, an initiative pushing for political reforms, government and the rule of law in China.
2012: In collaboration with legal scholar Xu Zhiyong, he co-authored an open letter addressed to Xi Jinping and other top government officials in China, urging the disclosure of their personal assets. They collected endorsements from over 8,000 citizens. Ding Jiaxi coordinated citizens across various cities for activities demanding officials disclose their assets.
April 2013: Ding Jiaxi was detained by the authorities on the charge of "illegal assembly". After his detention, over 100 lawyers formed a support group for Ding Jiaxi. This charge later evolved to "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and finally to "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order".
2014: Ding Jiaxi was sentence to 3.5 years in prison
October 2016: Ding Jiaxi was released in October 2016 after serving his term.
For more information, the detention of Ding Jiaxi was addressed in two communications (UA CHN 8/2013; and UA CHN 7/2014) by human rights experts in the UN.
December 2019: Ding Jiaxi was detained by Shandong police at a friend's house in Beijing. The police did not produce any legal documents during the arrest. After the detention, his whereabouts were undisclosed.
January 2020: Ding Jiaxi's wife, Luo Shengchun, hired defense lawyer Peng Jian to meet with the police and request a meeting with Ding Jiaxi. The police denied the request, stating that Ding Jiaxi was suspected of "endangering national security" and was under "residential surveillance at a designated location”.
January 2021: Lawyers were finally able to meet Ding Jiaxi in a remote video meeting.
It was revealed that Ding Jiaxi had suffered torture during the “residential surveillance at a designated location” in Yantai in Shandong Province, and had been deprived of sleep for an extended period. During a period of seven days and nights, he was interrogated in shifts by five officers. For half a month, he received only one-fourth of a steamed bun per meal. Additionally, for a week, his water intake was restricted to only 600 milliliters per day. Ding Jiaxi has already shared the details of his torture with the prosecutor, and the prosecutor has documented it, in over ten transcripts made after the torture. He also suffered abuse every day before the formal approval of arrest (i.e., the completion of the residential surveillance at a designated location period).
This arbitrary detention and torture inflicted on Ding Jiaxi were confirmed and were repetitively and widely criticized by the UN (UA CHN 6/2020; AL CHN 20/2020; AL CHN 4/2021; AL CHN 2/2022; and AL CHN 5/2023).
April 2023: After multiple delays, Ding Jiaxi was sentenced to 12 years in prison for "subversion of state power" and deprived of his political rights for three years.
In April 2023, Ding Jiaxi faced a sentence of 12 years in prison for "subversion of state power", accompanied by a deprivation of his political rights for three years. Despite this sentence, no verdict has been released. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed profound concerns about the sentence. Highlighting the deviation of such measures from international human rights law standards, Türk emphasized the universal right to voice criticism of government policies without facing prosecution. He also stressed the importance of adhering to fair trial and due process rights and the imperative to investigate allegations of ill-treatment appropriately.
In October 2023, lawyer Peng Kian visited human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi at the Line Country Detention centre in Shandong Province. Peng Jian discovered that Ding’s blood pressure has been elevated for several months. Despite medical intervention, the blood pressure remained abnormally high. Multiple readings in early September 2023 indicated levels consistently around 180, peaking at 190. Even after medication, the levels persisted at around 160.
On 24th November 2023, Ding Jiaxi was awarded the CCBE Human Rights Award 2023 for his determination in standing up for the rule of law. Although Xu is current detained, Sophie Luo Shengchun delivered his acceptance speech. The transcript can be read here: https://t.co/kXhx8VPInb
Enforced Disappearance
Torture, and Cruel, Inhumane, Degrading Treatment, and Punishment