Li Xiaoling
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2019-014-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2019
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 35.86166
Longitude: 104.195397
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- China
- From Region
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Female
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
activist
- Type of rights defended
- Unclear in SG Report
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
who had engaged with the UN human rights mechanisms
- Engagement with UN body
- Unclear
- Dates of engagement
- Unclear
- Type of attempted engagement
- Unclear
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- June 2017; 27 November 2018; 14 November 2018; 3 December 2018
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Zhuhai City
- Reprisal information
On 27 November 2018, the Zhuhai City Xiangzhou District Court convicted activist Ms. Li Xiaoling, who had engaged with the UN human rights mechanisms, of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” after a 14 November 2018 trial and sentenced her to three years in prison, suspended for five years. She had first been detained in June 2017 and reportedly been denied adequate medical treatment. Ms. Li was released on probation on 3 December 2018 and prevented from leaving Zhuhai. She is fitted with an electronic bracelet to track her movements and record her voice.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Conviction
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Trial
- Surveillance
- Physical attack: Torture/Cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment
- Travel restriction
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Government response dates
- 1 July 2019
- Government response content
Government indicated that, in April 2018, she was charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and illegal possession of a State classified document. According to the Government, since 2010, Ms. Li Xiaoling, has repeatedly created disturbances in public places by expressing solidarity for others, forming crowds of onlookers, and holding up signs and slogans. She has also shared information about these activities and maliciously sought to sensationalize and draw attention to them via on-line platforms as well as media outlets based outside mainland China. In November 2018, the first instance court found Ms. Li Xiaoling guilty of provocative and disturbing acts and sentenced her to three years imprisonment, suspended for five years. Ms. Li Xiaoling lodged an appeal, which was rejected on 11 February 2019, and she is currently on probation.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 1
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2020
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
The case of Ms. Li Xiaoling, who had engaged with UN human rights mechanisms, was included in the 2019 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/42/30, para. 45 and Annex I, paras. 13–14). Following her conviction in November 2018 by the Zhuhai City Xiangzhou District Court of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” Ms. Li Xiaoling was released on probation on 3 December 2018, and during the reporting period continued to serve her sentence at home. It was reported to OHCHR that she is under surveillance and her movements are strictly controlled. She allegedly continues to be fitted with an electronic bracelet which tracks her movements and records her voice, and she is barred from communication without police permission.
- Followup Trends 0
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 0
- No