(Hunan, China — April 11, 2026) After four years of detention and a prolonged struggle with the law, one of China’s most prominent human rights lawyers, Xie Yang (谢阳), has ultimately chosen a near-resolute silence in the face of authority.

According to the defense lawyer, he met with Xie Yang this Friday at a detention center in Changsha. Although the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court had already sentenced him on March 23 to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power,” the once unyielding lawyer has decided to forgo an appeal.

“He hopes to be transferred to a formal prison as soon as possible,” his lawyer said after the meeting. Xie Yang even remarked with a trace of bleak humor that he wanted to go “experience life.” However, when mentioning recent shows of support from fellow lawyer Yu Kai (于凯), the 54-year-old, hardened by years of suffering in detention, broke down in tears.

WeChat Posts Became “Evidence of Crime”

The trigger for the verdict is striking: comments Xie Yang made on WeChat. The court determined that these statements constituted a challenge to state power. In addition to the five-year sentence, the court ordered the confiscation of 100,000 RMB of his personal property. Taking into account time already served during prolonged detention, his sentence is expected to end on January 10, 2027.

Xie Yang’s experience reflects the broader plight of rights defense lawyers in China. Since beginning his legal practice in 2011, he has focused on defending cases involving abuse of public power. He once traveled to Shandong to visit blind legal scholar Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), who was under house arrest at that time. Xie Yang’s commitment to justice made him a long-term target of state security authorities.

From the “709 Crackdown” to the Li Tiantian Case

Xie Yang’s legal career is marked by repeated confrontations with China’s judicial system:

• 2015 “709 Crackdown”: He was among the first lawyers taken away during the mass arrests. He stood trial in 2017 after prolonged detention. At the time, he admitted guilt on camera and denied torture. This was widely believed to have been a forced compromise in exchange for release. Although he then avoided criminal punishment, he remained under strict surveillance and house arrest afterward.
• Early 2022: Xie Yang once again spoke out in support of Li Tiantian (李田田). A pregnant teacher was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution for her speech. This action led to his disappearance once more, after which he was charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” 

A Chilling Effect on the Legal Community

The trajectory of Xie Yang’s case illustrates the continued tightening of legal space. Over the past decade, the once-active community of rights defense lawyers has been systematically dismantled.

Some observers have interpreted his decision to waive appeal as a sign of complete loss of confidence in the current judicial system. In the Changsha detention center, the lawyer who once argued passionately in court now appears prepared to accept his new identity as a prisoner, perhaps as a final form of resistance to the law he once believed in.

As of now, the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court has not commented on Xie Yang’s decision to waive appeal. For him and his supporters, the next nine months will be a period of waiting behind high walls.

Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid