(Sichuan – August 8, 2025) At 9:00 in the morning on August 6, 2025, the younger sister of prominent human rights lawyer Lu Siwei and a friend went to the detention center to greet him upon his release. However, after waiting until 10:28 a.m., Lu Siwei called to inform them that he had been taken away by state security officers and transferred to a judicial office. His sister and friend immediately went there to meet him.
Brief Contact With Family and Supporters
Shortly afterward, Lu Siwei spoke with his family via video call and appeared to be in a fairly good mental state. The family said, “Just checking in to let everyone know he is well! Thank you for your concern and support all along. Wishing everyone the best, and please take care!”
Human rights lawyer Bao Longjun later spoke with Lu Siwei to confirm that he had been released from prison. Lu Siwei asked Lawyer Bao to pass along greetings to his friends who were concerned about him and expressed his sincere gratitude. He revealed that state security officers, in order to prevent people from greeting him, had taken him directly upon release and sent him to a community corrections agency. Lu Siwei is currently staying at a friend’s home.
Lu Siwei’s Background and Legal Work
Lu Siwei is a well-known Chinese human rights lawyer, widely recognized both domestically and internationally for representing sensitive cases. He has provided legal assistance to the families of the “Hong Kong 12” case in Chengdu, supporters of the anti-extradition movement, and multiple rights defense cases.
Timeline of Arrest and Imprisonment
In 2021, Lu Siwei’s license to practice law was revoked for representing Hong Kong clients and speaking out publicly. On July 28, 2023, Lu was scheduled to fly from Thailand to the United States to reunite with his family, but was arrested by local police in Vientiane, Laos, as he was about to board a train to Thailand.
On September 23 of the same year, Laos deported Lu Siwei to China, where he was immediately detained in the Xindu Detention Center in Chengdu. On October 27, 2023, he was released from the detention center on bail pending trial. On October 10, 2024, he was again arrested and indicted by the Chenghua District Procuratorate in Chengdu on the charge of illegal border crossing. He was then sent back to be detained at the Chengdu Detention Center the same day. On April 18, 2025, his trial was held at the Chenghua District Procuratorate, and he was sentenced on the same day to 11 months in prison and fined 10,000 yuan.
International Attention and Legal Community Support
During his imprisonment, his case continued to draw sustained attention from the legal community and human rights organizations, both in China and abroad, and it was seen as a bellwether for China’s human rights situation.
The China Human Rights Lawyers Group issued a statement, saying they would continue to monitor Lu Siwei’s situation. Given that he has regained his personal freedom, they called on the Chinese authorities to genuinely respect his freedom of movement and to immediately lift the border restriction measures (exit ban) imposed on him.
(Reported By Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid)
