Chinese Rights Organization Calls to End "Being Institutionalized as Mentally Ill" and Free Li Yixue

Recently, Li Yixue, a rights activist from Jiangxi, China, was once again forcibly institutionalized in a mental hospital by the authorities, sparking widespread public concern. (Online image)

People News - Recently, Li Yixue, a rights activist from Jiangxi, China, was once again forcibly institutionalized in a mental hospital by the authorities, sparking widespread public concern. The civil organization “China Civil Rights Alliance” (Overseas Preparatory Committee) issued a statement calling on relevant departments in Jiangxi Province to immediately release Li Yixue and to end the CCP’s practice of forcibly institutionalizing dissidents under the pretense of mental illness.

According to Radio Free Asia, the China Civil Rights Alliance (Overseas Preparatory Committee) issued a statement on Facebook on December 25. It noted that Li Yixue was forcibly sent to a mental hospital on December 22 by the Nanchang Public Security Bureau Xihu Branch and the Xihu District Nanpu Subdistrict Office. A joint statement from the two agencies claimed that the institutionalization was "in accordance with the law and regulations."

The rights group pointed out inconsistencies between the official justification and provisions in the Mental Health Law, citing Articles 30, 32, and 35. It argued that Li Yixue does not meet the criteria of a "severe mental disorder patient" and has not exhibited behavior that threatens her own or others’ safety. The organization concluded that her institutionalization was not lawful or justified.

The statement urged the immediate release of Li Yixue, warning that the CCP’s abusive practice of forcibly institutionalizing individuals under the guise of mental illness would persist if left unchecked. It also called on the people of Nanchang to exercise their rights under Article 46 of the Mental Health Law, which grants hospitalized individuals the right to communicate and receive visitors, to visit Li Yixue at the Jiangxi Psychiatric Hospital. Furthermore, it encouraged people outside of Nanchang, as well as those overseas, to send letters and postcards to support and encourage her.

The statement highlighted the CCP’s infamous history of using "mental health institutions as second prisons" and condemned the practice, urging the closure of these "mental health prisons." It also warned that under Articles 72, 75, 77, and 78 of the Mental Health Law, the Xihu Branch, Kuaizixiang Police Station, Nanpu Subdistrict Office, and Jiangxi Psychiatric Hospital would bear legal responsibility for Li Yixue’s forced institutionalization and should face legal consequences.

Li Yingzhi, head of the China Civil Rights Alliance (Rights Protection Association), who now resides in the U.S., explained that the organization initially applied for registration in Beijing in 2012 under China’s Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Social Organizations. However, it was forcibly disbanded by Beijing authorities in March 2013. In October 2024, the association resumed its preparatory activities in the U.S.

On December 24 and 25, Minsheng Guancha (Civil Rights Watch), a Chinese grassroots rights organization, reported that lawyer Fang Jian, who voiced support for Li Yixue online, was violently detained by Nanchang police while livestreaming, with over 4,000 viewers witnessing the incident. Additionally, there are reports that Li Yixue’s friend, Chen Li, went missing on December 21.

Previously, in April 2022, Li Yixue was forcibly institutionalized for 56 days after reporting an auxiliary police officer for sexual harassment. Upon her release, she publicly exposed her experience and the widespread detention and abuse of individuals deemed “stability threats” in Nanchang Psychiatric Hospital. She even borrowed money to sue the hospital. However, on December 22, Nanchang officials announced that she had been institutionalized again. On the same day, lawyer Fang Jian attempted to visit her home, but no one answered the door, and neighbors refused to discuss her situation.

On December 23, Li Yixue’s grandfather issued a statement to the court, declaring that he had raised his granddaughter since childhood and had never observed any signs of mental illness. He expressed shock and anger over her treatment and called for justice.

In March this year, Minsheng Guancha released the 2023 Annual Report on Mental Health and Human Rights (Forced Institutionalization), which noted that “being institutionalized as mentally ill” remains a critical tool used by CCP authorities to suppress dissent and persecute rights activists.