(China Aid Association – Sept 5, 2025) ChinaAid Association has established the Lin Zhao Freedom Award to recognize Chinese citizens in China who have worked to promote the advancement of civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China. The 2025 ChinaAid Lin Zhao Freedom Award nomination is open from now to Nov 10, 2025, and the recipient will be announced on Dec 3, 2025.
Who is Lin Zhao?
Lin Zhao (1932 – 1968), a Christian formerly known as Peng Lingzhao, was a native of Suzhou, China. 1954, Lin Zhao enrolled in the Chinese language department of Peking University. In 1958, Lin Zhao was classified as a rightist. Subsequently, in 1960, Lin Zhao was arrested and imprisoned for her involvement in the underground publication Starburst and for publishing her long poem, “A Day in the Life of the Proud Friar.” Early in 1962, she was released on medical parole, but was arrested again in November of the same year. In early 1962, Lin Zhao was released on medical parole, but was arrested again in November of the same year. Lin Zhao was detained in Shanghai’s First Detention Center and Tilanqiao Prison, where she wrote a large number of bloody letters, diaries, and letters to the editorial board of the People’s Daily (“140,000 Words”) opposing the “tyrannical enslavement” of Mao Zedong and the Communist Party of China (CPC). On April 29, Lin Zhao was sentenced to death in prison and executed by firing squad on the same day. On August 22, 1980, the Shanghai Higher People’s Court revoked the judgment of the Military Control Commission and acquitted Lin Zhao on the grounds of mental illness; on December 30, 1981, the Shanghai High People’s Court reviewed the case again and found that it was not appropriate to revoke the judgment on the grounds of mental illness, and revoked the 1980 ruling and the 1968 judgment and acquitted Lin Zhao.
At a time when dictatorship was rampant in China, Ms. Lin Zhao’s short but remarkable life was like a shooting star in the dark night, piercing the seemingly boundless darkness in an instant; under the tyrannical regimes, Ms. Lin Zhao preferred to die in protest rather than live in silence, manifesting the light of human nature that defied violence, stood firm on her conscience, and went to her death in generosity, which was enough to shake the earth and the heavens! Because Lin Zhao “embraced a little bit of the Christian spirit” and rejected “blood vengeance” while resisting tyranny, she has provided a moral revelation for contemporary China’s pursuit of a free and democratic society. Lin Zhao has become one of the most precious symbols of spiritual heritage left by the Chinese for all mankind.
ChinaAid Lin Zhao Freedom Award
In order to honor Lin Zhao’s memory, to carry on her legacy, and to inspire others to come, the China Aid Association has established the Lin Zhao Freedom Award to recognize Chinese citizens in China who have worked to promote the advancement of civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China.
Nominees must meet two basic criteria:
- have done outstanding work to advance the rule of law and civil society in contemporary China by promoting freedom and democracy, truth and reconciliation in the spirit of Lin Zhao’s advocacy of nonviolence against injustice and oppression; and
- have suffered injustice and persecution in the process. Potential recipients include democracy activists and rule of law advocates who are experiencing serious persecution, such as imprisonment, surveillance, or house arrest.
The “Lin Zhao Freedom Prize will be awarded to one person each year, with a certificate and a prize of RMB 25,000 (~$3,700 USD); if the person is unable to receive the prize in person, the prize will be given to his or her family.
The “Lin Zhao Freedom Prize” is open to all either in China or abroad who are practicing and concerned about the transition to democracy and the rule of law in China to solicit nominations online.
Each nomination form is limited to one nominee; each nominator can submit several nomination forms to nominate several people at the same time.
The China Aid Association (CAA) has established the Lin Zhao Freedom Prize Selection Committee, which consists of five members, including two representatives of the CAA and three non-CAA jury members (three renowned experts and independents from outside of mainland China who have closely followed the development of human rights and freedom in China).
The China Aid Association and the Lin Zhao Freedom Prize Selection Committee will maintain strict confidentiality of each nominee’s and nominee’s information.
The Selection Committee will review the nominations received and decide on the final award by a simple majority vote.
In the event that a recipient or family member wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons, the award will be presented anonymously and an announcement will be made, and the results of the awards will be kept as historical information and made public with the consent of the living recipient at an appropriate time, or upon the recipient’s death.
2025 ChinaAid Lin Zhao Freedom Award
The following is the announcement regarding the call for nominations for the ChinaAid Association’s 2025 “Lin Zhao Freedom Award”:
“An online nomination form has been designed to solicit nominations for the 2025 Lin Zhao Freedom Award, and the nomination period for the 2025 Lin Zhao Freedom Award will run from the date of this announcement to November 10th, 2025, with a limit of one nominee per nomination form. Each nomination form is limited to one nominee; each nominator can submit several nomination forms and nominate several people at the same time. Alternatively, nomination may be submitted to the following email at: linzhaoaward@yahoo.com .
In light of the increasingly harsh human rights environment in China, the ChinaAid Association’s 2025 “Lin Zhao Freedom Award” will be anonymous upon the wishes of the recipient or of his/her family member.
The ChinaAid Association will announce the recipient of the 2025 Lin Zhao Freedom Award on December 3, 2025.
We sincerely welcome nominations either in China or abroad who are practicing and concerned about China’s transition to democracy and the rule of law.