Archive for the 'Human Rights Defenders' Category

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NGOs call on China to ensure Sophia Huang Xueqin’s release

September 17, 2026

Credit: Women’s Media Centre

On 15 September 2026 several NGOs issued a joint Statement on this case:

Journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin is due to be released on 18 September after serving an unjust five-year prison sentence. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with other organisations, call on the Chinese authorities to ensure her immediate release and guarantee that, once released, she can carry out her journalism and human rights work without surveillance, harassment, retaliation or other restrictions.

Sophia Huang Xueqin is widely recognised for her work on human rights and commitment to press freedom. She is a journalist and one of the most prominent figures associated with China’s #MeToo movement. For years, she reported on and advocated for gender equality and supported survivors of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

In September 2021, Sophia was preparing to start graduate studies in the UK. However, she and a friend, human and labour rights activist Wang Jianbing, were arrested in Guangzhou, China on 19 September, and detained incommunicado for more than five months. While in detention, both Sophia and Jianbing were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment, with negative impacts on their health.

During their trial in September 2023, the prosecution focused on their role in co-organising weekly gatherings with fellow activists, as well as their participation in an online course on non-violence and online posts they had published or shared on issues deemed “sensitive” by the Chinese government.

Their convictions in June 2024 for “inciting subversion of state power” were based solely on the permissible exercise of their human rights, including the rights to freedom of the press and expression as well as association. Their case is emblematic of the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on journalists, human rights defenders, feminist activists and civil society voices calling for social justice and respect for human rights.

Wang, who was sentenced to three and a half years, was released in March 2025.

While Sophia Huang Xueqin is expected to be released on 18 September, we are concerned that she will face restrictions after leaving prison. She was subject to a “supplemental sentence” of four years’ deprivation of political rights, a punishment that is routinely imposed on human rights defenders and journalists to restrict their ability to speak, publish and organise long after their prison terms end. The legal provisions permitting this punishment are incompatible with international human rights standards, not to mention the fact that no one should be punished simply for exercising their human rights.

We call on the Chinese authorities to:

 Ensure Sophia Huang Xueqin is released immediately and is not subjected to any further arbitrary detention and allowed to move freely;
 Guarantee her rights to freedom of expression, press, association and peaceful assembly, alongside her right to participate in public life, including her ability to communicate freely with family, friends, supporters and civil society groups;
 Ensure she is not subjected to surveillance, harassment, intimidation, retaliation or restrictions on her movement and communications; and
 Amend domestic laws, notably the Criminal Law, to ensure their compliance with international law and standards, and prevent the misuse of legal provisions to restrict the rights of human rights defenders and others.

https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/china/china-ensure-sophia-huang-xueqin-s-release-and-guarantee-her-freedom

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/china-ngos-call-for-sophia-huang-xueqins-release-and-full-freedom

Posted in FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
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Ibrahim, Egyptian Human Rights Defender, on the ‘Faces of Hope Campaign’ of OMCT

September 12, 2026
Screenshot 2026 09 09 at 10 42 11

The Faces of Hope campaign, launched by OMCT, aims to shine a light on the stories of human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained around the world. Faces of Hope has helped secure the release of several defenders, including Ibrahim, an Egyptian human rights defender who shares his story with us and continues to inspire hope and resilience among those who fight for human rights every day despite repression and isolation. In this interview, Ibrahim reflects on his experience in detention, the crucial role of public campaigns, and the importance of continuing to speak out, even when everything seems designed to enforce silence.

What does the Faces of Hope campaign mean to you?

Faces of Hope represents hope, sharing, and remembrance. Hope, because it gave me strength again after prison. Sharing, because it allows us to tell the stories of our hardships and our victories. And remembrance, because it reminds us that no one is forgotten. It is something deeply human.

Why are public campaigns like this so important?

When I was in prison, I often wondered whether my case had been forgotten. Knowing that people outside are speaking about you is vital. Campaigns like Faces of Hope tell prisoners, “You are not alone.” They break the silence and remind you that someone is working for your freedom.

What does the OMCT and partners’ SOS-Defenders platform contribute?

A voice. That is what prisoners need most. SOS-Defenders makes it possible to tell the stories that dictatorships want to hide. Like Faces of Hope, it keeps hope alive and ensures that people continue to speak out.

How did your detention change your commitment?

Torture broke me physically, but it strengthened my determination. I knew that once I was released, I had to keep going. The government wants us to be afraid; I chose instead to speak out even more loudly, especially on behalf of those who are still behind bars.

Why are there so many arbitrary arrests in Egypt?

The laws are at the heart of the problem. They allow anyone to be arrested without legitimate grounds. I myself was the victim of an enforced disappearance for six months, without a single charge ever being brought against me. These laws are used to silence people, not to protect them.

How can this be brought to an end?

By maintaining pressure. We must keep speaking out and exposing these abuses, just as Faces of Hope does. And the international community must put pressure on regimes that violate human rights. Respect for human rights cannot be negotiated.

Your message to the international community?

Do not forget Egypt’s prisoners. Keep speaking about them and refuse to compromise. Every word matters. Thanks to campaigns like Faces of Hope, we keep the light on in the darkest places.

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/to-keep-speaking-is-to-resist-ibrahim-egyptian-human-rights-defender-on-the-faces-of-hope-campaign

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You do not stop being a human rights defender, even in exile

September 10, 2026

Almost nine months have passed since Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and human rights defender Uladzimir Labkovich were released from prison, and six months since the release and and forced deportation from the country of human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Nasta Loika. In a series of interviews prepared in cooperation with the Viasna Human Rights Center, The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House and Human Rights House Foundation, the former political prisoners reflect on life in exile after unjust imprisonment, their return to professional life, and their hopes for the future. Here Marfa Rabkova [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/03/23/belarus-frees-250-prisoners-including-human-rights-defenders-as-us-eases-sanctions/]

When did you feel truly free again after your release?

It has been almost five months since my release, but I still have not truly felt free. I suppose freedom is a very complex and multifaceted thing. Even though I am physically free, I do not have that feeling of freedom inside me. For me, freedom is still the sum of all freedoms. And as long as people remain imprisoned, as long as repression continues in Belarus, I cannot feel free.

There is also the factor of transnational repression. There are things that stop you at a certain point. You understand that the price of any word or action can be very high, because families, loved ones, relatives and friends remain in Belarus. And this matters enormously, because it is another reason you do not feel free. You carry responsibility for so many things: not only for your loved ones, but also for those people who remain in Belarus and are in prison.

I think I will only feel free in Belarus, when the repression ends, when all political prisoners are released, and when I am surrounded by my family and friends. That is when I will finally breathe out and feel truly free.

How difficult was it for you to leave Belarus? Do you hope to return?

It was very difficult for me to leave Belarus. I would even say that for me it was a harder blow than accepting a 15-year prison sentence. At that particular moment, at that point in time and space, it was incredibly difficult. I reacted even more emotionally than I did to my sentence…..

So I believe and hope that the Universe will eventually say, “All right, that’s enough. You can breathe now. It is over. We are going home.”

Why do you continue to fight for human rights?

I continue to fight for human rights because it is already part of me, part of who I am. Wherever I am, whatever the circumstances, it just switches on naturally inside me. I do not need to direct myself somehow or force myself to do something. I do not even think about it. It is simply who I am…..

It simply cannot be any other way. It is a natural way of living, and it does not stop. You do not stop being a human rights defender, wherever you are. And now, when I see how difficult the situation is in the world and in our region, how deep the human rights crisis has become, when we are already talking about the most basic things, the unconditional right to life and the right not to be tortured… watching this regression, you realise that standing aside is simply not an option.

What gives you hope for the future?

What gives me hope for the future are moments of humanity, empathy, interaction and mutual understanding. And what impresses me most is seeing these qualities in people from whom I did not even expect them. It gives you such a powerful surge of energy, because you realise that in many people there is still a bright spark, a spark of kindness. Sometimes it is hidden or buried very deep, but it is there.

https://spring96.org/en/news/121108

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Freedom House: new Ambassadors for Freedom Program

September 10, 2026

On 10 September 2026 Freedom House launched the Ambassadors for Freedom program, a new global initiative bringing together a group of democracy advocates to champion solutions to the 20-year decline in global freedom. Carolina Barrero, Nazanin Boniadi, Anaïse Kanimba, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Anna Kwok will serve as the inaugural ambassadors. Ambassadors will work in partnership with Freedom House to spotlight threats to freedom, engage policymakers and the public, and inspire a new generation to safeguard democracy.

Initial Freedom House Ambassadors

Carolina Barrero
Barrero is a Cuban political leader, human rights defender, and political analyst. A prominent figure of Cuba’s 27N and San Isidro prodemocracy movements, her activism led to repeated arbitrary detention, surveillance, house arrest, and ultimately forced exile in 2022. She is president and executive director of Ciudadanía y Libertad, where she leads efforts to strengthen independent civil society, political participation, and democratic institutions in Cuba, and is a PhD Fellow at the University of Miami.

Nazanin Boniadi
Boniadi is an Iranian-born actor, producer, and human rights advocate. She has partnered with charitable organizations since 2008 to campaign for the rights of disenfranchised populations across the world, with a focus on the unjust conviction and treatment of Iranian youth, women, and prisoners of conscience. She sits on the board of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran. As an actress, she has starred in dozens of television series and films.

Anaïse Kanimba
Kanimba is a global development strategist, human rights activist, and freedom technology leader. She is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which her father, Paul Rusesabagina, saved more than 1,200 people. Kanimba co-led the international campaign that secured her father’s release after he was forcibly rendered to Rwanda and illegally detained there. She is program director for freedom technology at the World Liberty Congress, founder of the Africa Bitcoin Institute, and a 2025 McCain Global Leader.

Vladimir Kara-Murza
Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, and former political prisoner. He was twice poisoned, reportedly by Russian secret services, for his work securing sanctions against high-ranking Russian rights abusers through the Global Magnitsky Act. In 2022 he received a 25-year treason sentence for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He was freed in a 2024 prisoner exchange. He is vice president of the Free Russia Foundation, a contributor at The Washington Post, and is an advisor at major rights organizations.

Anna Kwok
Kwok is a Washington, DC-based China policy strategist and well-known Hong Kong prodemocracy activist. In response to her work, in 2023, Hong Kong authorities issued a HK$1 million (US$129,000) bounty for information leading to her capture, and in 2026 they imprisoned her father based on fabricated charges. Kwok serves as a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and chairs the board of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC).

https://freedomhouse.org/article/freedom-house-launches-ambassadors-freedom-program-names-five-leading-human-rights

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Urgent concern for the safety of Angolan lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

September 8, 2026
ANGOLA: Urgent concern for the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

On 7 September 2026 Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Observatory of Lawyers at Risk (OIAD) express their profound concern regarding the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi, following a recent threat to his life. The circumstances surrounding the threat remain unclear, raising serious concerns about public safety and the protection of lawyers in the country. The threat is part of broader trend of intensifying tensions in Angola, in the run up to the national elections.

Zola Ferreira Bambi is a human rights lawyer committed to advocating for the rights of human rights activists and vulnerable communities in Angola. Since the early 2000s, he has been at the forefront of documenting and challenging the persecution and judicial harassment of human rights defenders. He has represented activists and journalists in high-profile cases, advocating for freedom of expression and access to justice. Over the past decade, he has also documented and denounced numerous cases of corruption, impunity, abuse of power, forced displacement and police violence. In April 2025, Mr. Bambi’s dedication was internationally recognised when he received the Lawyers for Lawyers Award.

In the morning of September 1st, mr. Bambi received a death threat as he was preparing to attend a hearing before de Luanda Court in his capacity as a lawyer. The proceedings concern a high-profile case involving a high-ranking police officer and relate to allegations concerning the conduct of police forces in an incident that resulted in the death of a woman and left several other individuals seriously injured.  As Mr. Bambi represents the family of the deceased in these proceedings, there is a serious likelihood that the threat received that day is linked to his legal representation of the family in this case.

This alarming message was received amidst rising pressure, persecution, and threats against human rights defenders in Angola. As the country prepares for the national elections scheduled for August 2027, an increasingly tense and repressive climate has emerged in recent weeks, with social tensions and demands being used as a pretext for intimidation, threats, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, and fabricated judicial proceedings against those expressing dissenting views. Activists, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders are increasingly being targeted, and these incidents appear to be intensifying as the elections approach.

ANGOLA: Urgent concern for the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

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Amnesty International opens Virtual Museum exploring six decades of human rights activism

September 6, 2026

On 3 September 2026 Amnesty International presented ‘Stories That Resist‘, its first Virtual Museum—an immersive 360° experience that allows visitors to explore 65 years of campaigning, research and collective action in defence of human rights around the world. Developed in the Americas, the initiative aims to introduce the movement’s history to new audiences and inspire more people and future generations to join the defense of human rights. More than a digital archive, Stories That Resist is a space for memory, education and participation that demonstrates what can be achieved when thousands of people organize and act in the face of injustice.

The museum is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, includes accessibility features for all visitors and can be explored free of charge from anywhere in the world.

Across five thematic galleries, visitors can explore more than 50 historical items, including emblematic objects from Amnesty International’s archives, campaigns that defined generations, photographs, videos, awards and testimonies from people who chose to act in the face of injustice.

“The history of Amnesty International is made up of people who refused to remain indifferent. This museum allows us to honour their courage, preserve the memory of our struggles and remind ourselves that every action, however small it may seem, can help transform a life,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.

The museum offers visitors a closer look at some of the most significant moments and honours in Amnesty International’s history, including the story of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the organization in 1977 for its contribution to the defence of human rights. It also features individuals and movements honoured with the Ambassador of Conscience Award, Amnesty International’s highest distinction, presented to those who have confronted injustice and used their voices and actions to inspire millions of people. Recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Ai Weiwei, Alicia Keys, Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement. SEE ALSO: https://trueheroesfilms.com/equip/digest/?sort=most

“Every campaign, every investigation, every object and every person who chose to act is part of this history. Today, that legacy has a new space where it can continue to inspire,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.

Explore Amnesty International’s Virtual Museum, Stories That Resist**:** https://www.museoamnistiainternacional.org/

https://www.museoamnistiainternacional.org

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Detention, torture and silence: SOS-Defenders’ 2025 report on censorship by detention — 60 new defenders were jailed last year

September 6, 2026

Repressive governments arbitrarily detained at least 60 human rights defenders across 14 countries in 2025, according to the latest report by the SOS-Defenders platform, a collective initiative of local, regional and international organisations coordinated by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT).

The 2025 edition of the Censorship by Detention report, released on 3 September 2026, documents the use of arbitrary arrest across 14 countries with repressive regimes. The report reveals journalists and bloggers were the single most targeted group, accounting for 28 of the 60 documented detentions, followed by community leaders, academics, NGO members and lawyers. Afghanistan (16), Ethiopia (14) and Guatemala (10) recorded the highest numbers.

Detention is rarely the end of the abuse. Human rights defenders held in 2025 were subjected to physical violence, psychological abuse and forced confessions, secret and prolonged incommunicado detention, and inhuman conditions including prison overcrowding, denial of medical care and prolonged solitary confinement. OMCT’s Global Torture Index rates the risk of torture and ill-treatment for defenders as “Considerable” or worse in 36 of the 38 countries assessed. The report warns that violations behind prison walls remain severely underreported.

“This report is both an alarm and a call to action,” said Stéphanie David, Secretary General of OMCT. “Governments are increasingly using detention not only as punishment, but as a weapon of censorship — and, too often, torture and ill-treatment follow through the prison gates. We refuse to let these defenders be erased: OMCT and its partners will continue to expose these practices.”

“States must act,” added Claudia Virginia Samayoa, President of OMCT and Chair of the SOS-Defenders Advisory Group. “We call on governments to immediately and unconditionally release every human rights defender arbitrarily detained for their peaceful work, to end torture and ill-treatment behind bars, and to guarantee the right to defend human rights for all.”

Conversely, the report highlights that sustained coordinated advocacy, legal action, diplomatic pressure, and collective action contributed to securing the release of 87 defenders across 18 countries, with Belarus (22), Iran (15), Ethiopia (13) and Afghanistan (12) leading.

SOS-Defenders brings together more than 20 local, regional and international civil society organisations, convened under the auspices of the OMCT–FIDH Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The initiative consolidates global data on the arbitrary detention of defenders on a single public platform to drive coordinated action for their release. Since its launch, the platform has published more than 670 cases of arbitrarily detained defenders.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/detention-torture-and-silence-sos-defenders-2025-report-on-censorship

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Three female candidates shortlisted for the 2026 Václav Havel Prize

September 5, 2026

The selection panel of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize has nnounced the shortlist for the 2026 award. Meeting in Prague, the panel – made up of independent figures from the world of human rights and chaired by Petra Bayr, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – decided to shortlist, in alphabetical order, the following three nominees:

Masih Alinejad is an Iranian‑American journalist, author and women’s rights activist who has become one of the most prominent voices of the Iranian opposition in exile. She launched the “My stealthy freedom” campaign against compulsory hijab laws, which grew into a global movement supporting the “Women, life, freedom” protests. She co‑founded the World Liberty Congress and United against gender apartheid and has been recognised with multiple international awards. Her work has helped draw global attention to the repression of women and journalists in Iran, highlighting the crucial role of independent voices in defending human rights and democratic freedoms.

Márta Pardavi is a Hungarian human rights lawyer and co‑chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a leading organisation defending the rights of asylum‑seekers, refugees and other foreigners in need of international protection. She has long monitored the human rights performance of law enforcement and the judiciary and spoken out against laws which shrink the space for civil society and restrict NGO funding in Hungary. Through decades of advocacy and legal action, she has helped protect vulnerable people at Europe’s borders and uphold the rule of law in the face of growing pressures.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a leading human rights lawyer in Iran who has represented activists, journalists, minorities and children facing execution, while campaigning against compulsory hijab laws and the death penalty, despite repeated arrests, lengthy imprisonment and severe personal risk. She was again arrested in April 2026 and released on bail in May 2026, amid ongoing concerns about her safety and the broader crackdown on independent lawyers and human rights defenders. Her steadfast commitment to justice, even under harsh state repression, has made her a symbol of courage and resilience for human rights defenders and pro‑democracy movements in Iran and beyond.

All three candidates are already recipients of human rights awards, Sotoudeh with 10 is the best known. see: https://trueheroesfilms.com/engage/heroes/

For more on the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize and its laureates see https://trueheroesfilms.com/equip/digest/?sort=most

https://www.coe.int/de/web/portal/-/three-candidates-shortlisted-for-the-2026-v%C3%A1clav-havel-prize-1

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Thailand: New FIDH report details more than a decade of lèse-majesté abuse

September 4, 2026

A new report published on 2 September 2026 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) sheds light on the severe human rights impacts of the enforcement of Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code (lèse-majesté) since the country’s latest military coup in May 2014.

The report, titled “The unsayable – Q&A on Thailand’s lèse-majesté”, answers 15 frequently asked questions about Article 112 and its implications for human rights, civic space, the media, and democratic development in Thailand.

“The evidence of the serious human rights violation linked to the enforcement of Article 112 is overwhelming and causes great damage to Thailand’s international standing. Reform of Article 112 is long overdue and efforts by Thai civil society to peacefully campaign for such changes should be commended and protected,” said FIDH Vice-President Teppei Ono.

Statistics about lèse-majesté reflect the severity and scope of the human rights violations linked to the enforcement of Article 112. Between May 2014 and July 2026, at least 461 individuals were prosecuted under Article 112, with at least 199 receiving prison sentences. The 10 longest prison sentences imposed under Article 112 averaged approximately 30 years and six months, with the longest sentence reaching 50 years. At least 21 children were prosecuted under Article 112, with the youngest one aged 14.

As of July 2026, 29 individuals remained detained under Article 112. Of these, 12 were detained pending trial or appeal, while the judgments for the remaining 17 had become final. Among those behind bars is prominent pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, who has accumulated a prison term of over 31 years stemming from 11 lèse-majesté convictions for his speeches and online posts that called for monarchy reform. Three additional lèse-majesté cases remain pending.

At the international level, all the relevant key United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms have consistently expressed their concerns over various aspects of the enforcement of Article 112 and declared it incompatible with Thailand’s human rights obligations under international law…

FIDH and TLHR call on states to use Thailand’s fourth UPR to raise their concerns over the ongoing abuse of Article 112 and make recommendations to the Thai government to bring this provision into line with international law. FIDH and TLHR also urge Thai authorities to establish a moratorium on new lèse-majesté prosecutions and to immediately release all those who are being deprived of their liberty under Article 112.

The unsayable – Q&A on Thailand’s lese majeste

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‘Why is the Chinese Communist Party so scared?’

September 4, 2026
Hong Kong Watch

Benedict Rogers in Hong Kong Watch of 1 September 2026 asks the same kind of question I aksed many years ago in a symposium about NGOs [see Chapter 4, titled “From human rights projects to strategies: The search for coherence,” in the book NGOs in China and Europe: Comparisons and Contrasts edited by Yuwen Li – 2012].

Benedict Rogers writes iner alia: Within the past week, the Chinese regime has convicted a Hong Kong barrister and a trade unionist for the crime of organizing a peaceful vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre and sentenced a Chinese artist to three years in prison for satirical sculptures of the long-dead leader Mao Zedong, responsible for the deaths of millions of Chinese civilians during his rulen.In so doing, Xi Jinping’s dictatorship has proven once again its thin-skinned paranoia, its neurotic fear of dissent and humor, and its ruthless determination to silence freedom of expression and bury history and truth.

Hong Kong lawyer Chow Hang-tung, aged 41, and trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan, aged 69, representing the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were convicted on Aug. 21 of the crime of “inciting subversion” — simply for having organized candle-lit vigils to remember the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. They now face up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Both have already been in jail for the past five years and have now been convicted under Hong Kong’s draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing in 2020.

Both the conviction of Chow and Lee, and the sentencing of Gao [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/08/27/chinese-artist-gao-zhen-sentenced-to-the-maximum-of-3-years-prison-over-satirical-mao-statues/], have drawn international condemnation from the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and governments.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders, Andrea Bolanos Vargas, said she is “deeply concerned” about Chow and Lee’s verdict, and called for their immediate release. She said: “Peacefully preserving memory and calling for truth, justice and accountability are human rights activities and must never be criminalized.”

These two cases are just the latest examples of Beijing’s intensifying intolerance of dissent. They follow the 20-year prison sentence imposed on Hong Kong media entrepreneur and devout Catholic  Jimmy Lai, aged 78, earlier this year, and the imprisonment of hundreds of other pro-democracy campaigners, human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, and religious practitioners in Hong Kong and across China….

All these cases combined raise an important question. If China is — as Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party want us to believe — the world’s new superpower, why is it so terrified of a barrister and a trade unionist and a media entrepreneur lighting candles, or an artist making satirical sculptures?

If the regime in Beijing is as strong as they suggest, why are they so scared of Christians gathering to pray, Tibetans meditating on the Dalai Lama’s teachings, Uyghurs fasting during Ramadan, or Falun Gong practitioners practising physical exercises similar to yoga and promoting “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance?” And why does it consider it a crime to promote understanding of different ethnic and religious cultures?

The truth is, the regime in Beijing hates humour, is scared of jokes, and is terrified of any opinion or belief that diverges from total loyalty not only to the Chinese Communist Party’s ideology but also to its key leaders, contemporary and historical. Any perceived mockery of Mao is deemed an insult to Xi, any attempt to remind the world about the tragedy of Tiananmen is seen as an assault on today’s regime, and any practice of religion or spirituality is regarded as a rejection of the regime’s attempts at self-deification.

In other words, this is a fragile regime, scared of its own shadows, its own murderous history, and its own people. Such a regime may be able to lock up brave dissidents, lawyers, trade unionists, journalists, artists, and religious believers for a time. It may be able to shut down free expression and freedom of religion for a while. But it can never silence the souls of its people, for whom the courage of Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, Gao Zhen, and so many others stands as a light in the darkness.

This article was published in UCA News on 31 August 2026.

https://www.hongkongwatch.org/all-posts/2026/9/1/why-is-the-chinese-communist-party-so-scared-benedict-rogers

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/04/hong-kong-misuses-colonial-era-law-to-violate-rights

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