Xu Zhiyong

Xu Zhiyong wrote in his seminal essay in 2012: “China Needs a New Citizens Movement”: “China needs a new citizens movement. This movement is a political movement in which this ancient nation bids utter farewell to authoritarianism and completes the civilized transformation to constitutional...

Access to Justice

Xu Zhiyong

“Admonition to Resign”

phb — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:37:54 +0000

February 4, 2020

“Admonition to Resign”

Citizens' Square

Public Appeal

The lead advocate of the New Citizens Movement lambasts Xi Jinping for his incompetence and mismanagement of the coronavirus epidemic, asking the Chinese president to resign for the sake of the country. Xu was detained in southern China on February 17, 2020. He is reported to be facing “inciting...

Xu Zhiyong

Entering the New Year in Handcuffs: An Account of Being Taken into Custody on New Year's Eve

phb — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 22:44:39 +0000

January 9, 2020

Entering the New Year in Handcuffs: An Account of Being Taken into Custody on New Year's Eve

Citizens' Square

Arbitrary Detention

Li Qiaochu ( 李翘楚 ), the girlfriend of New Citizens Movement advocate Xu Zhiyong ( 许志永) , posted an article on Twitter describing the police search of Xu’s home and her home in Beijing on New Year's Eve. When officers came to search Xu’s home, Li was there but Xu was not. Afterwards, they took Li to...

Ding Jiaxi

Four More New Citizens Movement Advocates Convicted, Sentenced to Between Two and Three-and-a-Half Years

tw — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 20:04:00 +0000

April 18, 2014

Four More New Citizens Movement Advocates Convicted, Sentenced to Between Two and Three-and-a-Half Years

Case Update

Asset Transparency

Four citizen activists involved in public calls for high-ranking officials to reveal their assets in 2013 have each been found guilty of “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” Two of them— Ding Jiaxi ( 丁家喜 ) and Zhao Changqing ( 赵常青 ) — were accused of planning street actions in...

Ding Jiaxi

Lawyer’s Request to Present 75 Witnesses to Testify at Open Hearing

tw — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 19:45:18 +0000

April 3, 2014

Lawyer’s Request to Present 75 Witnesses to Testify at Open Hearing

Citizens' Square

Asset Transparency

On appeal of his first-instance verdict and four-year prison sentence, Xu Zhiyong requested that the second instance trial conducted in an open court, and that all witnesses who originally submitted written testimonies be allowed to testify in-person in court. This is a request, submitted by one of...

Xu Zhiyong

Freedom of Speech Is the Starting Point for Civil Society and Good Governance--Defense Argument for Dr. Xu Zhiyong’s second instance trial

tw — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:38:51 +0000

April 7, 2014

Freedom of Speech Is the Starting Point for Civil Society and Good Governance--Defense Argument for Dr. Xu Zhiyong’s second instance trial

Citizens' Square

In this argument submitted to the Beijing Municipal People’s High Court, Xu Zhiyong’s second instance trial defense lawyer, Liu Shuqing (刘书庆), raised three issues: the facts of the first instance trial were unclear; the first and second instance trials had major procedural flaws; and the importance...

New Citizens Movement

Xu Zhiyong

A Free Soul Imprisoned: Citizen Xu Zhiyong’s Statement for Second-Instance Trial

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 23:15:30 +0000

April 2, 2014

A Free Soul Imprisoned: Citizen Xu Zhiyong’s Statement for Second-Instance Trial

Citizens' Square

[Translation by Human Rights in China] The “New Citizens” trials in their entirety, whether procedurally or substantively, have left the dignity of the rule of law in utter ruin. As legal professionals, you are in fact well aware that the “disrupting order in a public place” charges against us are...

New Citizens Movement

Xu Zhiyong

“If I lose my freedom”—Xu Zhiyong in My Memory

tw — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:39:54 +0000

February 4, 2014

“If I lose my freedom”—Xu Zhiyong in My Memory

China Rights Forum

Asset Transparency

Editor’s note: Xu Zhiyong , a key advocate of the New Citizens Movement, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on January 26 for “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” Xu was originally detained in July 2013 after being subjected to four months of house arrest in connection...

Xiao Guozhen

"Uphold the Bottom Line of the Rule of Law" -- an open letter to all delegates of the Twelfth National People’s Congress about the prosecution of New Citizens Movement advocates

tw — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 20:48:03 +0000

March 2, 2014

"Uphold the Bottom Line of the Rule of Law" -- an open letter to all delegates of the Twelfth National People’s Congress about the prosecution of New Citizens Movement advocates

Citizens' Square

National People's Congress (NPC)

Prior to the start of the 12th National People's Congress, the lawyers of Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Zhao Changqing , and other activists—who have been prosecuted for their participation in the New Citizens Movement—as well as domestic intellectuals, business people, and journalists, jointly issued an...

Ding Jiaxi

Xu Zhiyong’s First-Instance Verdict (English translation)

tw — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 21:59:26 +0000

January 26, 2014

Xu Zhiyong’s First-Instance Verdict (English translation)

Citizens' Square

Asset Transparency

The Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court sentenced Xu Zhiyong （许志永） , leading advocate of the New Citizens Movement, to four years’ imprisonment for “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place,” one year short of the maximum penalty for the charge. The court issued the...

Xu Zhiyong

Lawyers Dismissed or Withdrawn in Protest of Unfair Trials of Three Citizen Activists

tw — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 18:33:14 +0000

January 31, 2014

Lawyers Dismissed or Withdrawn in Protest of Unfair Trials of Three Citizen Activists

HRIC Bulletin

New Citizens Movement

Four participants of the New Citizens Movement— Ding Jiaxi ( 丁家喜) , Li Wei ( 李蔚 ), Zhang Baocheng ( 张宝成) , and Yuan Dong ( 袁冬) —were tried in two separate trials on Monday, January 27 at the Beijing Haidian District People’s Court. The proceedings marked the end of a series of trials of citizen...

Cheng Hai

“Turning this Page, Let Life Start Anew”—Statement by Xu Zhiyong’s Lawyer

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 17:25:52 +0000

January 26, 2014

“Turning this Page, Let Life Start Anew”—Statement by Xu Zhiyong’s Lawyer

Citizens' Square

Statement by Xu Zhiyong’s lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, upon receiving his client’s verdict: four years’ imprisonment for “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place.” Xu, a key advocate of the New Citizens Movement, was tried last Wednesday, January 22, at the Beijing Municipal No. 1...

New Citizens Movement

Xu Zhiyong

Four Years for New Citizens Movement Advocate Xu Zhiyong

tw — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 04:56:45 +0000

January 26, 2014

Four Years for New Citizens Movement Advocate Xu Zhiyong

Case Update

Today the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Xu Zhiyong (许志永), a leading advocate of the New Citizens Movement, to four years’ imprisonment for “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place,” one year short of the maximum penalty for the charge. Xu was tried last...

New Citizens Movement

Xu Zhiyong