(HUBEI, CHINA — Nov. 4, 2026) — The wife of imprisoned Chinese human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi has sought a prison visit and detailed information about restrictions on his communication and daily life in central China, where he is serving a 12-year sentence.
On Oct. 31, rights advocate Lu Siwei mailed two applications on her behalf to Jiangbei Prison in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, requesting permission to visit Ding and information about his detention conditions, according to documents reviewed by ChinaAid.
Ding’s wife, Luo Shengchun, who lives in the United States, said prison officials have not resolved complaints about his outdoor exercise, access to books, family calls, and the handling of letters and other materials she has mailed him.
Seeking answers from prison authorities
In an information disclosure request, Lu seeks details about the size and occupancy of Ding’s cell, its facilities, daily food standards and menus, medical examinations and treatment, and the timing and duration of outdoor activities. The application also seeks records of correspondence and materials withheld or delivered.
A separate prison visitation application seeks permission for Lu to meet Ding. Luo said she spent months arranging authorization for her friend to act on her behalf in pursuing a visit, filing complaints about possible rights violations, and receiving related correspondence.
China’s revised Prison Law took effect Nov. 1, a day after the applications were mailed. Article 69 provides for calls and visits by relatives and guardians, while allowing visits by others when prison officials approve them as beneficial to rehabilitation.
Lu is a former human rights lawyer whose license was revoked in 2021. He was released from prison in August 2025 but remains subject to surveillance and travel restrictions, according to previous ChinaAid reporting.
Years of imprisonment and restricted contact
Ding, 59, worked as a commercial lawyer before advocating civil rights and public disclosure of officials’ assets. He helped organize the New Citizens Movement with legal scholar Xu Zhiyong and others, receiving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for related activities in 2014.
Authorities detained Ding again in December 2019 after he attended a private gathering of human rights activists in Xiamen, southeastern China. He was held under Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location before being transferred to a detention facility about six months later.
Following a closed-door trial in June 2022, a court convicted Ding of “subversion of state power” in April 2023 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison, with three years’ deprivation of political rights. His appeal was rejected that November.
Ding was transferred to Jiangbei Prison in late November 2023. The following year, ChinaAid reported that prison authorities had denied family visits and restricted correspondence, although Ding was able to meet with an attorney in February 2024.
The restrictions have persisted. ChinaAid previously documented interference with Ding’s correspondence. In July, Luo said prison staff withheld Bible passages and hymns from her letters, citing a ban on proselytizing. Last month, she reported that officials acknowledged withholding her 36th letter over unspecified security concerns.
As of Nov. 4, prison authorities had not responded to the latest requests, according to Luo.
From the United States, Luo has continued advocating for her husband. She was photographed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Oct. 31, a day after human rights groups gathered there to commemorate the International Day of Political Prisoners.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.