Chinese Human Rights Defenders had this important call raising awareness and prescribing action:

The Chinese government must immediately end its detention of human rights defender Li Qiaochu (李翘楚). Ms. Li, a women’s rights and labor rights activist, was detained in likely retaliation against her for disclosing the details of torture suffered by her partner, legal scholar and civil rights advocate Xu Zhiyong.  Without access to legal counsel of her choice, Li Qiaochu is now at high risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.  

On 6 February 2021, a Beijing police officer with the surname of Guo asked Li Qiaochu to come out and talk (约谈) with him, but then, in a surprise move, Li Qiaochu was taken away by police officers from Linyi, Shandong, where Xu Zhiyong is also being held. Li’s parents were then told to come to the Yuqiao police station in Beijing to sign a detention notice, which they were not allowed to read. Li’s father saw that the notice said that she was being held on the charge of “subversion.” He refused to sign.

On 19 February 2021, Li Qiaochu’s lawyer, Li Guopei, sent a request to the Linyi City police requesting a lawyer’s visit.  The lawyer learned that, while she is nominally detained by the Linyi City Detention Center, she is currently being held at a hospital in Linyi for “quarantine purposes,” and will later be transferred to the Linyi City Detention Center. 

Read the full article here.