(Beijing – July 11, 2025) Ten years ago, on July 9, 2015, Wang Quanzhang and hundreds of other human rights lawyers in China were summoned, arrested, detained, or criminally investigated. This event, known as the “709 Crackdown,” marked a turning point in the development of rule of law and human rights in China. It signified a full-scale suppression of the legal profession and civil society by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leaving a profound and lasting impact on the country’s human rights landscape.

Institutionalized Judicial Repression: Party-Controlled Law Firms and Punishment for Defense

Since the 709 Crackdown, the Chinese authorities have not made any corrections to this mass arrest. Instead, they have further tightened control over the legal profession. Since 2016, the CCP has mandated the establishment of Party branches within law firms. The official national bar association amended its charter to require lawyers to “resolutely uphold the authority of the Chinese Communist Party with Xi Jinping at its core.”

Law firms are forced to assess the political sensitivity of cases they take. Handling group incidents, religious freedom, or political persecution cases can result in revoked licenses, forced closures, frozen assets, or even “precision strikes” like internet and power cutoffs. Many lawyers have been subjected to torture, enforced disappearance, or collective punishment due to association, with their families overseas being affected.

Current Situation of Wang Quanzhang: Five Years After Release, Still Under Tight Surveillance

Human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, 49, known for defending Falun Gong practitioners and expropriated farmers, was arrested in 2015 and released in 2019 after serving a full sentence. Yet even five years post-release, he and his family remain under constant surveillance, harassment, and forced eviction.

In 2023, the family was forced to move 13 times within two months. Even now, their residence in Beijing is still watched by a large number of plainclothes agents. Wang Quanzhang has published surveillance footage online to expose the authorities’ methods. His son, Wang Guangwei (Quanquan), has repeatedly been expelled or denied schooling due to official pressure on schools, seriously infringing upon the rights of the child.

Fate of Fellow Lawyers: Disappearance, Imprisonment, Exile

The outlook for human rights lawyers in China remains grim. Over the past decade, dozens lawyers involved in the 709 Crackdown or publicly supported human rights cases continue to be detained, sentenced, or exiled:

• Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi are imprisoned, serving 12 and 14-year sentences, respectively.
• Gao Zhisheng has been forcibly disappeared since 2017, nearly eight years ago.
• Li Fangping and Li Jinxing (aka Wu Lei), who defended victims of the tainted milk scandal, have gone into exile.
• Xie Yang was rearrested for supporting pregnant teacher Li Tiantian and has been detained for over three years; photos in prison show clear signs of torture.
• Li Heping suffered severe torture in prison; after his 2017 release, his entire family faced repeated forced relocations and a ban on leaving the country.
• Zhou Shifeng was arrested in 2015 and released in 2022; his wife Zhang Meiying died of illness on July 3, 2024.
• Lu Siwei was deported from Laos after publicly supporting 709 victims and sentenced to 11 months.
• Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan were sentenced after attempting to meet with EU officials, showing clear suppression of internationally connected activism.
• Xie Yanyi authored Chronicle of 709 and 100 Questions About Peaceful Democracy, exposing torture.
• Wang Yu and her husband Bao Longjun had their licenses revoked and continued to provide legal help as “citizen representatives,” despite frequent obstruction.
• Ren Quanniu was criminally detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” due to his involvement in 709 cases.

What Has Been Taken Is More Than Freedom

Human rights lawyers not only face prison and torture, but many have also lost their law licenses and livelihoods. Some have been forced to go underground, secretly defending persecuted Christians, religious groups, and citizens. Under intense political pressure, the risks they take and the price they pay are still not fully recognized by the outside world.

Notably, these lawyers once pushed for a series of major rule of law reforms, including the abolition of the re-education through labor system, challenging the Party’s extralegal “shuanggui” disciplinary procedures, and confronting the household registration (hukou) system. Their contributions must not be erased.