(Guangdong, China – August 12, 2025) After being held in detention for one year and three months, Chinese democracy advocate Xu Lin was sentenced on August 8th by the Nansha District People’s Court in Guangzhou City to three years and nine months in prison on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Xu Lin, now 61, has long been committed to promoting civil society, freedom of speech, and human rights guarantees. In recent years, he has repeatedly faced government suppression, and this verdict has drawn widespread attention from international human rights organizations.
Long History of Advocacy and Artistic Resistance
Since the late 1990s, Xu Lin has published a large number of political commentaries, poems, and original songs, many focusing on freedom, the rule of law, and the ideology of democracy. Beginning in 2010, he arranged multiple events to hold signs on the streets, deliver public speeches, and organize public gatherings in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other locations. He came to be regarded as one of the important grassroots voices in China’s rights defense movement. He collaborated with rights activist Liu Sifang to compose several songs reflecting social realities and political oppression.
Previous Imprisonment and Recent Arrest
In 2018, Xu Lin was sentenced to three years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and was released in September 2020 after completing his sentence in Gaoming Prison, Foshan City, Guangdong Province. On May 17, 2024, he was once again taken away by state security police and criminally detained under the same charge.
Trial and Rejection of Legal Defense
On March 18, 2025, Xu Lin’s case was heard in the Nansha District Court. His wife and sister were allowed to attend the trial. According to his family, during the hearing Xu Lin refused to defend himself or appoint a lawyer, stating that “the legal process is just accompanying the government to put on a show.” He offered no rebuttal to the prosecution’s accusations of “insulting others, spreading false information, liking posts on social media, and composing songs.” No verdict was announced on the day of the trial.
Allegations of Torture and Declining Health
However, during his subsequent time in detention, Xu Lin’s health deteriorated sharply. According to his family, he has recently lost a great deal of weight, and multiple health indicators have become severely abnormal, raising concerns for his safety. On May 17, 2025, Xu Lin suddenly changed his stance, urgently requesting a meeting with lawyer Ge Wenxiu, and revealed that he had been subjected to long-term abuse and torture in the detention center. He stated that due to the authorities’ long delays in delivering a verdict and refusal to improve his conditions while imprisoned, he had planned to protest through extreme measures such as hunger strikes and banging his head against the wall, even vowing to “risk my life.”
International Response and Legal Concerns
It remains unclear whether Xu Lin’s health has stabilized. His lawyer has said they will continue to request meetings and medical assistance. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other organizations have repeatedly called on Chinese authorities to release Xu Lin and investigate his allegations of torture in detention.
This case has once again drawn criticism over the broad application of China’s “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” charge. The offense is widely used to suppress dissenters and rights defenders, with critics arguing that its vague definition and opaque application of law make it a tool for stifling free speech.
Reported by Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid
