Human Rights Defender Zhang Baosheng Denied Travel to Visit His Ill Wife, Criticizes CCP’s Inhumanity

Liu Juefan, Zhang Baosheng, and their daughter. (Provided by interviewee)

October 21, 2024 - Beijing human rights defender Zhang Baosheng was recently released from bail pending trial but is still under a travel ban. He condemned the authorities for repeatedly restricting his travel, and now that his wife is gravely ill, he has again been denied permission to visit her, accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of being utterly inhumane.

On October 16, Zhang Baosheng posted on Platform X: “My wife is recovering from late-stage cancer surgery, my eldest daughter just gave birth, and my younger daughter is preparing for her wedding, yet I am still being restricted from leaving the country,” condemning the authorities for lacking "the most basic sense of humanity."

Zhang Baosheng confirmed to Epoch Times that in September last year, after taking a photo in Tiananmen Square making an obscene gesture, he was detained for 15 days and then released on bail pending trial. After a year, once his bail was lifted, he began arranging to travel abroad to see his wife and children. He first bought a round-trip ticket to Jeju Island as a test, but was still barred from leaving at the airport.

“In February this year, when my eldest daughter gave birth, I applied to the National Security Bureau to leave the country, but it was denied. Now, my younger daughter has graduated from university and is getting married. I hope to attend the wedding, but again, it was denied. This system is utterly devoid of humanity.”

This situation has occurred several times before. In October 2017, Zhang Baosheng, his wife Liu Juefan, and their daughter Xiaobao were traveling to the U.S. Liu Juefan passed customs, but Zhang Baosheng was detained at the airport and prohibited from leaving the country under the pretext of “potentially endangering national security.”

After some struggle, Zhang Baosheng eventually made it to the U.S. Shortly after arranging for his daughter's schooling, he returned to China in December that same year because his close friends from prison were still in mainland China...

Zhang Baosheng noted that his wife is now over 60, and he himself is 65. Meeting with his wife and children has become increasingly rare. To improve his chances of being allowed to leave, he avoided discussing sensitive topics and even canceled some social gatherings with friends.

“We haven’t seen each other in eight years.” Zhang Baosheng choked up when mentioning his wife, Liu Juefan. His wife is now in the late stages of cancer and has undergone surgery. He hopes to see her one last time, though it’s uncertain whether that will even be possible.

The CCP often uses travel bans and other illegal methods to suppress dissidents. Zhang Baosheng expressed that China under CCP rule is not a nation governed by law, but by people. If the party operated with even a basic sense of humanity, many issues could be resolved through dialogue. However, they refuse to act humanely, creating artificial and unwritten excuses without any legal basis, simply preventing him from leaving as they see fit.

Zhang Baosheng, a Beijing native, began participating in democratic activities in 2009. In 2013, he joined the New Citizens' Movement, where he held banners, distributed leaflets, and gave speeches in places like Chaoyang Park and near Tsinghua University, demanding that officials publicly disclose their assets. He was sentenced to two years in prison for “gathering crowds to disturb public order.”

On March 31, 2013, Zhang Baosheng and several others held a banner in Xidan, Beijing, demanding that CCP officials disclose their assets. (Provided by the interviewee)

In June 2015, after being released from prison, Zhang Baosheng married Liu Juefan. The police prevented them from holding a public wedding ceremony, fearing he might “gather crowds to cause trouble.” Nevertheless, they held a large banquet and invited over 120 like-minded friends by sending digital invitations online.

In the days leading up to the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 2019, Zhang Baosheng was once again detained by the police. Authorities accused him of crimes based on over 2,000 posts he made on social media, and he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and for “promoting terrorism and extremism.”

“I’ve been imprisoned continuously. I view it as a form of personal cultivation, and imprisonment is still an honor,” Zhang Baosheng said. He believes that social progress is achieved through the efforts of individuals over time. Several generations, including today’s Chinese people, are still enslaved. As a person, one must bear responsibility and live like a true man. If one does nothing, it brings shame to one's life and to future generations.

“By pushing for social progress, we inevitably hit the CCP’s sensitive nerve. They don’t want societal progress; they want dictatorship. Once you learn to defend your rights, you threaten their interests. Their interests are not those of the people, but of a small ruling elite. Especially in our New Citizens' Movement, Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi are still in prison—one for 14 years, the other for 12.”

“China's progress relies on building civil society. Once civil society is established, the overall social movement will require minimal sacrifices. Everyone has their own rights and interests. Right now, civil society cannot even be mentioned. Without its construction, society will become increasingly chaotic, and the wounds will deepen.”

The reporter also tried to contact Liu Juefan, who has posted very little on Twitter since the beginning of the year. She jokingly told the reporter, “My blood oxygen is low. One day, it even dropped to 76%, and I almost ascended to heaven,” and expressed concern that “I may never see [my husband] again in this life.”

In a previous interview with Epoch Times, Liu Juefan said, “Meeting Zhang Baosheng turned me from a 'slave citizen' into a 'citizen'—a citizen with rights and obligations.” She added, “In my love story, it’s like the lyrics say: I’ve turned my longing into faith.”

Editor: Zheng Haoyu