Human rights lawyer Li Yuhan has been arbitrarily detained by the Chinese authorities since 2017. Aged over 70, the lawyer was representing the families of victims of enforced disappearance.
After being abducted by the Chinese authorities in October 2017, Li Yuhan was officially arrested on 15 November 2017. Her trial, initially scheduled for April 2019, was postponed several times. It was not until 2021 that the first hearing was held; no lawyer was allowed to attend, and no verdict was reached.
Accused of “quarrels and disturbances” and “fraud”, Li Yuhan has been subjected to threats, harassment, violence and personal attacks on several occasions in connection with the exercise of her profession.
Li Yuhan’s lawyer has been informed that his client is being mistreated. Indeed, her ability to walk has been seriously affected, forcing her to use crutches to move around. Li Yuhan has also suffered several heart attacks, damaging her sight and hearing.
The authorities deliberately refuse to give her any medication and sometimes even urinate in her food.
Despite denunciations by the UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups, the Chinese government has not taken any significant action towards the lawyer. However, her treatment seems to have slightly improved, following numerous complaints from her lawyer.
Unfortunately, Li Yuhan’s case is far from isolated: the practice of enforced disappearance is common in China, as are torture and incommunicado detention.
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China: lawyer Li Yuhan arbitrarily detained in dreadful conditions
