U.S. Condemns CCP’s Sentencing of Human Rights Lawyer Yu Wensheng and His Wife

Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan (Internet image)

People News: U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller issued a statement on Thursday (October 31), condemning the Chinese government for sentencing human rights defender Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan to prison this week, and urging the Chinese government to release them immediately and unconditionally.

According to Voice of America, the following is the full translation of the U.S. State Department's statement in Chinese:

Statement on the Sentencing of Human Rights Defenders Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller

October 31, 2024

The United States condemns the unjust imprisonment of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). On October 29, a PRC court sentenced Yu Wensheng to three years in prison and Xu Yan to one year and nine months, on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” These sentences indicate the PRC’s ongoing attempts to silence those who speak out for human rights and the rule of law. During Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan’s trial, authorities barred diplomats from several foreign missions, including the United States, from attending, undermining the transparency essential to ensuring that Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan’s rights to a fair trial were respected.

We call on the PRC to immediately and unconditionally release Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan. We also reiterate our demand for the PRC to release all those who are unjustly detained or imprisoned. The United States continues to stand with those who bravely fight for human rights in the PRC and around the world.