EU demands ‘immediate and unconditional’ release of two Chinese activists arrested in Beijing
- Pair were due to meet visiting EU officials at bloc’s embassy in the capital; three other lawyers were also detained
- Video posted to activist’s Twitter account said they were detained for ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’
The European Union has called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of two Chinese activists who were detained in Beijing while on their way to meet senior EU officials.
Yu Wensheng, a human rights lawyer, was detained along with his wife Xu Yan on April 13 as they made their way to the EU’s Beijing embassy for meetings with the team of Brussels’ top diplomat, Josep Borrell. Borrell himself had been expected to attend, but cancelled a trip to China after testing positive for Covid-19.
They were subsequently formally arrested on April 15. According to a video posted to Xu’s Twitter account, they were detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a criminal charge that has been widely criticised for its potential to be used to muzzle dissent.
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The EU says three other human rights lawyers were placed under house arrest in the Chinese capital in connection with the event. They are Wang Quanzhang, Wang Yu and Bao Longjun.
Nabila Massrali, the bloc’s spokesperson for China, said “the detention of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan, on April 13 just before a meeting at the EU delegation at the invitation of visiting EU senior officials, was already not acceptable”.
Asked about the detentions at a briefing on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said “Chinese authorities handle cases according to the law”, without referring to the individuals named. He added that China opposed interference in its internal affairs.
Yu, the lawyer, has already spent years in prison. He was detained in 2018, hours after writing an open letter calling for constitutional reforms in China, including multi-candidate elections.
Initially charged with obstructing a public service, Xu said at the time that her husband was subsequently investigated for and charged with inciting subversion of state power. He was handed a four-year sentence in 2020.
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The Chinese Mission to the European Union did not respond to a request for comment.
The EU and China clash frequently on human rights.
Brussels’ sanctioning of a group of Chinese officials and entities in March 2021 for their involvement in alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang drew sweeping retaliatory measures from Beijing, with business and travel bans slapped on diplomats, lawmakers and researchers.
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On Tuesday, during a debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed “solidarity” with the sanctioned members.
“We must also never shy away from talking about the deeply concerning and grave human rights violations in Xinjiang,” von der Leyen said.
China denies any rights violations have taken place in the western region.
Beijing hears Hong Kong human rights under city’s own national security law vital
In February, the EU and China resumed human rights dialogue for the first time since 2019. Interim meetings had been cancelled first due to Covid-19, but then due to the fallout of the sanctions.
According to the EU, Beijing “focused on the situation and treatment of refugees and migrants in the EU and manifestations of racism and xenophobia in the EU”.
