Human rights organizations are concerned about the fate of lawyer Xu Zhiyong, known for his fight against corruption by Chinese leaders. Deprived of contact with his family and constantly monitored by his fellow prisoners, the dissident sentenced last year to 14 years in prison is said to have decided to go on hunger strike.
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On hunger strike since October 4 to protest against his inhumane treatment, Xu Zhiyong would be in mortal danger today. This is what Chinese Human Rights Defenders fear, an NGO based in the United States, which is in contact with relatives of this lawyer known for his fight against corruption.
In 2012, Xu Zhiyong founded the New Citizens Movement, an informal collective of lawyers, intellectuals and activists committed to civil rights and democracy. With the coming to power of Xi Jinpingthis movement quickly became the enemy to be defeated. In 2014, Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to four years in prison for “ illegal assembly aimed at disrupting public order “.
Once released, the lawyer continued his fight and was arrested again in 2020. His fault: having criticized the management of the crisis of Covid-19 and called for the resignation of President Xi Jinping. Currently, Xu Zhiyong is serving a 14-year sentence. The NGO Chinese Human Rights Defenders is all the more worried about his health as he is weakened by the torture suffered in prison.
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