The Rights Practice

4/ In 2009, Amnesty International stopped publishing estimated figures on use of death penalty in China, but available information shows that each year thousands of people are executed & sentenced to death.

3/ In 2025, the death penalty was applied in China for offences that do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” incl. drug-related cases and corruption. It also gained prominence in China’s relations with some foreign governments incl. executions of 4 Canadian citizens.

1/ Amnesty International published its Global Report on Death Sentences & Executions 2025. Asia-Pacific region continued to hold highest number of executions in the world, but secrecy & restrictive state practices continued to prevent scrutiny. tinyurl.com/2sbm6may @amnesty

Close to half of the executions recorded in 2025 were the result of the intensification of highly punitive approaches in the “war on drugs”. Drug-related executions in China, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Singapore contributed to these numbers. The death penalty has often been used by states as a show of power, and nowhere is this clearer than in the executions connected to drug offences. However, there are still signs that the tide is changing – in 2025 Viet Nam was one of the countries that took steps away from the death penalty and abolished this cruel punishment for eight offences, including drug transportation.

New @amnesty report on global use of #deathpenalty in 2025 shows staggering 78% increase in known executions compared to 2024, with global total reaching highest yearly figure since 1981 amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

#China: Today marks 6 years since #ZhangZhan was first arrested. Her crime? Reporting about the COVID-19 outbreak. She’s been relentlessly persecuted by the state ever since and her health is gravely deteriorating in jail. The international community must take action to secure her release.  rsf.org/en/china-zhang…

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today expressed alarm at the continuing spike in executions for drug-related offences in #Singapore, saying the practice is at odds with international human rights law. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…

I welcome the release of Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng on 13 April after 3 years in detention on "inciting subversion of State power" charges. He & his wife Xu Yan must be free from surveillance & restrictions on their freedom of movement & expression. @ChinaMissionGva

It’s great that human rights lawyer #YuWensheng has been released and safely arrived at his home in Beijing.

📜.@CHRDnet joins a coalition of 25 civil society groups urging 🇨🇳 authorities to #FreeYuWensheng upon completion of his sentence, reunite him with his family in #Beijing, and ensure he can freely exercise his rights. 👉 nchrd.org/2026/04/china-…

🚨 #China: Together with partners, we express our concern regarding the conviction and arbitrary detention of human rights lawyer #XieYang. We call for his immediate and unconditional release, and for his conviction to be quashed. 🔗 lawyersforlawyers.org/legal-and-huma…

@amnesty @amnestychinese @article19org @AsianLawyersN @CCBEinfo @FH_China @FLD_China @hrichina @IBAHRI @fidh_en @CHRDnet @L4L_INT @SafeguardDefend @omctorg

Human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng is expected to be released on 13 April, after completing a three-year sentence. We, along with 25 other organisations, urge Chinese authorities to ensure that Yu Wensheng is immediately released after serving his sentence. tinyurl.com/2dc3tx2z

🚨 #China: Together with partners, we call the Chinese authorities to release arbitrarily detained human rights lawyer #YuWensheng. 🔗 lawyersforlawyers.org/international-…

人权律师 #余文生 预计将于4月13日获释，此前他因莫须有的“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”服刑3年。 ✊🏻他本不应该因为行使自己的权利而被监禁。 📢 #国际特赦组织 与其24个民间社会组织，对其人身状况深表关切。中国当局必须确保余文生在刑满后立即获释，允许他与其在北京的家人团聚，并且能够自由行使人权。 🔗 阅读联署：amn.st/6015B6xLDU @xuyan709 @yuwensheng9

Disturbed by reports of yet another human rights lawyer in #China sentenced to imprisonment. Last week Xie Yang received a five year prison term for "inciting subversion of state power" in a hearing which took place without the presence of his lawyers. Xie has been repeatedly targeted in the past decade because of his peaceful work in defence of human rights @ChinaMissionGva

[NEW RESEARCH] In 2022, ICJR surveyed 204 lawyers on the death penalty in Indonesia. The findings reveal a vast gap between rights guaranteed by law and what actually happens in the courtroom. See the data ⬇️⬇️ #DeathPenalty #CriminalLaw #CriminalProcedure

3/ The Working Group renders the following opinion: The deprivation of liberty of Mr. Xie Yang, being in contravention of articles 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is arbitrary and falls within categories I, II, III and V.

2/ "The Working Group is concerned that this might indicate a widespread or systemic practice of arbitrary detention in the country. The Working Group underlines that States have the obligation not to engage in acts that could constitute crimes against humanity & to prevent them"

1/ UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention - Opinion Concerning Chinese human rights lawyer Xie Yang: "In recent years, the Working Group has found China in violation of its international human rights obligations in numerous cases." ohchr.org/sites/default/…