China: Human Rights Lawyer Xie Yang Sentenced to Five Years After Secret Trial

Last updated: 16 September 2026

Photo: China stop human rights violations - Michael Lieu
A court in China sentenced prominent human rights lawyer Xie Yang to five years in prison on March 23, 2026 on charges of "inciting subversion of state power," Human Rights Watch announced. The Changsha Intermediate People's Court cited several of Xie's WeChat posts as the basis for the verdict. The proceedings were marred by serious due process violations: Xie's October 2025 trial was held in secret, his lawyers were barred from participating in hearings, and his pretrial detention was extended 13 times over more than four years. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had previously called for his immediate release.

The Verdict and Its Context

Xie Yang, 54, from Changsha, Hunan province, began practicing law in 2011. He has defended activists and victims of rights abuses in politically sensitive cases including religious persecution and land rights disputes. The Changsha court's verdict, reported by his former wife Chen Guiqiu on social media, also included the confiscation of 100,000 yuan (US$14,500). With time served, his sentence is expected to run to January 2027.

"The Chinese authorities' prosecution of Xie Yang and the court's harsh sentence reflects Beijing's utter contempt for the rule of law," said Maya Wang, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "This case not only aimed to persecute a brave human rights lawyer like Xie, but to intimidate all lawyers seeking to protect Chinese people's rights."

A Pattern of Persecution

Xie was first targeted in July 2015 during the nationwide "709 crackdown," when Chinese authorities arrested more than 300 lawyers and activists in a single coordinated operation. He was tortured and subjected to enforced disappearance, convicted of "inciting subversion," and imprisoned until 2017.

He was detained again in January 2022 after pressing for the release of a young teacher who had been forcibly committed to a psychiatric facility for criticising censorship in education. Police raided his home, tortured him in custody, and charged him with "inciting subversion" and "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." His October 2025 trial was held in secret without his knowledge; police only informed his family after it had taken place — a flagrant violation of both Chinese criminal procedure law and international fair trial standards.

International Obligations and HRW Demands

The legal proceedings against Xie violated China's own Criminal Procedural Law, which guarantees a right to a defence, public trial hearings, and time limits for criminal investigations. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has formally recognised his detention as arbitrary and called for his immediate release.

HRW called on foreign governments to continue to speak out for human rights lawyers like Xie Yang. "Vocal international support could improve Xie's treatment, and crucially, help give him and others in China the strength to persevere," Wang said. The organisation called on Beijing to quash the conviction and release him unconditionally.

Source: Human Rights Watch — China: Prominent Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 5 Years (March 23, 2026)