Joint statement on arrest Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan
China
Lawyers for Lawyers, The 29 Principles, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, the Rights Practice, the Interna=onal Service for Human Rights (ISHR), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), and the Martin Ennals Foundation condemn the arrest of lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan. We call for their immediate release and urge EU officials and governments to speak out about their situation, and about the situation of lawyers in China more generally.
The full statement can be read here.
On April 13, 2023, human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan were criminally detained by the Beijing police. Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan were on their way to the EU embassy in Beijing when they were intercepted by police officers who told them they had been summoned to a police station. Their son was informed on 15 April that the couple had been criminally charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.
Yu Wensheng had been released from prison just over a year ago on 1 March 2022 after serving a four year prison sentence in retaliation for his human rights efforts.
Lawyers for Lawyers, The 29 Principles, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, The Rights Practice, ISHR, the Martin Ennals Foundation, and IBAHRI condemn the arrest of lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan and call upon the Chinese authorities to ensure that:
- all charges against Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan are dropped, and that they are immediately and unconditionally released;
- all human rights lawyers and human rights defenders are provided with their freedom of expression of political and other opinions in accordance with China’s international obligations to respect and fulfil human rights law and standards; and
- are able to assist their clients without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference and without threats of prosecution or administrative sanctions for any actions they take in accordance with internationally recognized professional duties, standards and ethics;
- the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers are respected, and that lawyers are able to assist their clients without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference and without threats of prosecution or administrative sanctions for any actions they take in accordance with internationally recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.
We further call upon EU officials, EU Member States and other States to condemn the detention of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan and to monitor their case.