A/HRC/57/60
Capelle had been granted a visa on 17 May 2024 so he could assert his right to legal access
to justice in Cameroon in a peaceful atmosphere.
8.
China
54.
The case of two members of the international legal team supporting Jimmy Lai
and his son Sebastian Lai was included in the 2023 report of the Secretary-General50 on
allegations that their statements at the Human Rights Council were considered by the
Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as intended to interfere with or
obstruct the course of justice and could very likely constitute a criminal offence, according
to a public statement the Government had made in reaction to their presentation. During the
reporting period, the legal team’s family members reportedly received threats over email and
social media, while the international legal team continued to receive death and rape threats
and to suffer repeated attempts by unknown sources to hack their email and bank accounts.
55.
The case of a human rights defender against gender-based violence and for labour
rights, Ms. Li Qiaochu, was included in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 report of the
Secretary-General51 on allegations that her detention was a reprisal for meeting online with
two experts from the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in
September 2020. 52 On 28 February 2022, Ms. Li Qiaochu was indicted for “inciting
subversion of state authority.” According to information received by OHCHR, Ms. Li
Qiaochu was tried on 19 December 2023, for this crime by a court in Linyi, Shandong
Province. Reportedly her two lawyers were denied access to the courtroom. On 5 February
2024, the court announced Ms. Li’s sentence of three years and eight months in prison. Due
to time already served, her sentence is reportedly set to end on 2 August 2024.
56.
The case of human rights lawyer Ms. Li Yuhan, who had engaged with UN human
rights mechanisms and whose detention was considered arbitrary by the Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention,53 has been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 2019.54
Reportedly, Ms. Li Yuhan was held in pre-trial detention at the Shenyang No. 1 Detention
Centre since 9 October 2017 on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and
“fraud”, until her trial in October 2021. On 21 July 2023, special procedures mandate holders
addressed her arbitrary detention, related violations of due process guarantees and her
reported ill treatment and state of health (CHN 11/2023). On 25 September 2023, the
Government replied to mandate holders55 According to information received by OHCHR, on
24 March 2024, she was released from prison after having served the full term of her sentence
of six and a half years. She is reportedly in poor health and in need of medical care.
Reportedly, on 15 April 2024 she travelled to Beijing to seek medical treatment and had to
move out of her place of residence due to alleged pressure by police on her host.
57.
The case of Ms. Xu Yan, who reportedly had been targeted for engaging with UN
human rights mechanisms, has been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since
2019, 56 in relation to her interrogation for her campaign for the release of her detained
husband, Mr. Yu Wensheng, a human rights lawyer whose detention was considered
arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention57 (CHN 5/2018).58 On 1 March 2022,
Mr. Yu Wensheng was reportedly released after completing a four-year sentence. According
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
GE.24-14259
A/HRC/54/61, Annex I paras. 26–32.
A/HRC/48/28, para. 58, Annex I, para. 26; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 36–38; A/HRC/54/61,
Annex II para. 30. 58, Annex I, para. 26; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 36–38; A/HRC/54/61,
Annex II para. 30.
See also CHN 4/2021.
A/HRC/WGAD/2018/62, paras. 59, 62, 77–78.
A/HRC/42/30, para. 45 and Annex I, paras. 13, 15, A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, para. 14; A/HRC/48/28,
para. 59, Annex II, para. 17; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, para. 39: A/HRC/54/61, Annex II, para. 31.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=37731.
A/HRC/4 2/30, para. 45 and Annex I, paras. 13, 17, A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, para. 16; A/HRC/48/28,
para. 59, Annex II, para. 19; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, para. 40; A/HRC/54/61, Annex II, para. 32.
A/HRC/WGAD/2019/15 paras. 30, 38, 49 and 50.
See government reply at:
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=33962.
45