china 18

About china 18

The 18 prisoners of conscience of the China 18 represent thousands of men and women in China who work at their peril to promote and advocate for the rule of law, religious freedom, democracy, and basic human rights. As a result, these brave Chinese citizens face harassment, incarceration, torture, and often with similar consequences for their family members. Thus, we urge you to raise the cases of the China 18 by name, press for their immediate and unconditional release, and make it clear to Chinese government authorities that the international community will not let their efforts be in vain.

Note: ChinaAid is currently in the process of selecting more China 18 members to fill vacancies left by released and perished prisoners. As such, we are not able to display 18 members at this time.

Current

Zhang Haitao, a Chinese dissident detained in Xinjiang

Zhang Haitao

Zhang Haitao Zhang Haitao 19-year sentence All it took was 69 social media posts, 205 tweets, and 13 pictures to sentence Zhang Haitao to 19

Image of Chinese journalist and political activist Gao Yu who was persecute and served time in a Chinese prison because of her faith.

Gao Yu

Gao Yu Gao Yu Gao Yu, a veteran Chinese journalist and political activist, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for allegedly leaking state secrets.

Lobsang Tsering

Lobsang Tsering Lobsang Tsering Lobsang Tsering was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Jan. 31, 2013 for “intentional homicide” in connection to the self-immolation

Gao Zhisheng

Gao Zhisheng Gao Zhisheng Although Gao was released from prison on Aug 7, 2014, he has been under strict surveillance and denied freedom of movement,

An image of Hu Shigen at a baptism. Hu Shigen is a pro-democracy activist and renowned church elder, currently waits out a seven-and-a-half year sentence on falsified charges of “subversion of state power."

Hu Shigen

Hu Shigen Hu Shigen (Released) Updated March 28, 2023 Released The Chinese Communist Party released Hu Shigen after his seven-and-a-half-year sentence for “subversion of state

An image of Li Change who is a persecuted christian in China.

Li Chang

Li Chang Li Chang On April 25, 1999, Li Chang, participated in a peaceful Falun Gong protest outside the central Communist Party headquarters in Beijing.

Image of Liu Xianbin, who uses the pen name Wan Xianming, is a human rights activist, China Democracy Party organizer, and writer and signer of Charter 08.

Liu Xianbin

Liu Xianbin Liu Xianbin Liu Xianbin, who uses the pen name Wan Xianming, is a human rights activist, China Democracy Party organizer, and writer and

Alimujiang Yimiti

Alimujiang Yimiti Alimujiang Yimiti (Released) Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti, also known as Alim, was born on June 10, 1973, in Hami, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Image of Liu Ping, a grassroots civil rights activist in China and member of the New Citizens’ Movement, is currently serving a 6 1/2 year prison sentence for several charges.

Liu Ping

Liu Ping Liu Ping Liu Ping, a grassroots civil rights activist in China and member of the New Citizens’ Movement, is currently serving a 6

Zhang Shaojie

Zhang Shaojie Zhang Shaojie Pastor Zhang Shaojie, of Nanle County Christian Church in China’s central Henan, is currently serving a 12-year prison term for “gathering

An image of wang bingzhang who is a US citizen citizen who is serving a life sentence in a China prison after being convicted during a secret trial.

Wang Bingzhang

Wang Bingzhang Wang Bingzhang Wang Bingzhang, a permanent resident of the United States and a Christian, is a veteran of China’s pro-democracy movement currently serving

An image of Gumira Imin who is a persecuted christian in China.

Gulmira Imin

Gulmira Imin Gulmira Imin Gulmira Imin was detained on July 14, 2009 in Asku, a city in China’s far western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for

Image of Zhang Zhan who is a christian journalist who is currently in prison for her journalistic piece criticizing China's response to COVID-19.

Zhang Zhan

Zhang Zhan Zhang Zhan Zhang Zhan is a Christian freelance journalist and former lawyer who covered the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei Province. In

image of Linag Qin who was sentenced In 2017 to 10 years in prison on fabricated charges of “cult activity.”

Liang Qin

Liang Qin Liang Qin In 2017, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities sentenced Liang Qin to 10 years in prison on fabricated charges of “cult activity.”

image of Ju Dianhong who was falsely accused of leading a cult.

Ju Dianhong

Ju Dianhong Ju Dianhong A Lincang court in southern Yunnan Province harshly sentenced Ju Dianhong to 13 years in prison. The CCP falsely accused her

Image of Li Juncai who posted a slogan for the church that said “Love God and people,” but officials asked him to change it to “Love the country and religion.” The refusal to change lead him to be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Pastor Li Juncai

Pastor Li Juncai Pastor Li Juncai Yuanyang County Central House Church separated itself from the government-sanctioned Three-Self Church and merged with local house churches in

Image of Pastor John Cao who was placed in prison on illegal border crossing charges, despite the fact that they had never had trouble before.

John Cao

John Cao John Cao Updated March 24, 2023 Building Bible Schools Pastor John Cao served as a missionary in Myanmar’s Wa State, transforming the lives

Image of Dr. Xu Zhiyong who is being tortured for his criticism of China.

Dr. Xu Zhiyong

Dr. Xu zhiyong Dr. Xu zhiyong Dr. Xu Zhiyong is a prominent civil rights activist in China. He co-founded the New Citizen’s Movement, a collection

Image of Elder Qin Defu who was arrested in December of 2018, and he was secretly tried in November 2019 for “illegal business operations.

Elder Qin Defu

Elder Qin Defu Elder Qin Defu (Released) Qin Defu is an elder of the Early Rain Covenant Church. Originally from Sichuan Province, Defu started his

Image of Pastor Wang Yi who was the Early Rain Church Convent leader from 2005 until his arrest in 2018 for “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.”

Pastor Wang Yi

Pastor Wang Yi pastor wang yi Updated March 20, 2023 Early Rain Covenant Church Wang Yi is the pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church from

Released

Image of Chinese journalist and political activist Gao Yu who was persecute and served time in a Chinese prison because of her faith.

Gao Yu

Gao Yu Gao Yu Gao Yu, a veteran Chinese journalist and political activist, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for allegedly leaking state secrets.

An image of Hu Shigen at a baptism. Hu Shigen is a pro-democracy activist and renowned church elder, currently waits out a seven-and-a-half year sentence on falsified charges of “subversion of state power."

Hu Shigen

Hu Shigen Hu Shigen (Released) Updated March 28, 2023 Released The Chinese Communist Party released Hu Shigen after his seven-and-a-half-year sentence for “subversion of state

Zhu Yufu

Zhu Yufu Zhu Yufu Zhu Yufu, a veteran political activist and a Christian, is serving a seven-year prison term for “inciting subversion of state power.”

An image of Chen Kegui who has been released from prison but is being refused medical treatment.

Chen Kegui

Chen Kengui Chen Kegui Chen Kegui was released on July 29, 2015. At this time he continues to suffer stomach pains but has been denied

Wang Zhiwen

Wang Zhiwen Wang Zhiwen Wang Zhiwen was released from prison on Oct. 18, 2014. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Wang

Guo Feixiong

Guo Feixiong Guo Feixiong Guo Feixiong is the pen name of Yang Maodong, a writer, activist, self-taught legal defender. He has been held since Aug.

Dhondup Wangchen

Dhondup Wangchen Dhondup Wangchen Dhondup Wangchen was released from prison on June 5, 2014, and taken to his sister’s home in China’s inland Qinghai province,

Alimujiang Yimiti

Alimujiang Yimiti Alimujiang Yimiti (Released) Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti, also known as Alim, was born on June 10, 1973, in Hami, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Guo Quan

Guo Quan Guo Quan Guo Quan is currently serving a 10-year prison term for “subversion of state power.” Guo was an associate professor at Nanjing

Yang Hua

Yang Hua Yang Hua Li Guozhi, better known as his alias, Yang Hua, has been serving a two-and-a-half year sentence in Guiyang, Guizhou, and has

Yang Rongli

Yang Rongli Yang Rongli Ms. Yang Rongli and her husband, Wang Xiaoguang, were the leaders of the 50,000-member Linfen house church in inland Shanxi province,

Tang Jingling

Tang Jingling Tang Jingling Tang Jingling is a human rights lawyer whose clients have included villagers fighting government corruption and victims of illegal land appropriation.

Khenpo Karma Tsewang

Khenpo Karma Tsewang Khenpo Karma Tsewang Khenpo Karma Tsewang, also known as Khenpo Kartse, is a Tibetan monk who was sentenced to 2 1/2 years

Image of Elder Qin Defu who was arrested in December of 2018, and he was secretly tried in November 2019 for “illegal business operations.

Elder Qin Defu

Elder Qin Defu Elder Qin Defu (Released) Qin Defu is an elder of the Early Rain Covenant Church. Originally from Sichuan Province, Defu started his

Perished

Liu Xiaobo

Liu Xiaobo Liu Xiaobo Writer, renowned literary critic, one of China’s leading political activists, and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo was perhaps

Peng Ming

Peng Ming Peng Ming Peng Ming, a veteran pro-democracy and human rights activist and a Christian, has been serving a life sentence in his native

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, of Tibetan descent, was detained on April 7, 2002, by the Yajiang County Public Security Bureau,

Yang Tianshui

Yang Tianshui Yang Tianshui Yang Tianshui, born Yang Tongyan, is currently serving a 12-year prison term after being convicted of “inciting subversion of state power.”

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