On 8 July, the evening of the 9th anniversary of the ‘709 crackdown’, Chinese Human Rights lawyer Chang Weiping has been released after completing his 3,5 year administrative detention in Feng County Detention Centre, Shaanxi province. Mr. Chang was sentenced on 8 June 2023, after being charged with inciting “subversion of state power”, in what human rights organizations have widely regarded as a reprisal for his testimonies on the torture that he experienced while previously detained.
Chang Weiping is renowned for defending the rights of people who are discriminated on the basis of their health status, gender identity or sexual orientation. Lawyers for Lawyers has issued statements on his trial and detention and sent an intervention letter to the Chinese Authorities, calling to drop the charges and release Mr. Chang.
Despite Mr. Chang’s release, concerns remain about the continued pressures on the lawyer. Mr. Chang’s parents and other family members are under constant surveillance and harassment. They reported that they are followed when they leave the house, that their phones have been confiscated and that the police interrogate all visitors they receive at home.
Lawyers for Lawyers will keep monitoring the situation of Mr. Chang and other lawyers in China.
