Chinese lawyer Xu Zhiyong is on hunger strike over “ill-treatment” in prison

A Chinese human rights lawyer has begun a hunger strike to protest his treatment in prison, where he is serving time for “subversion of state power”, rights groups say.

Xu Zhiyong, 51, a former lecturer at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, is 14 years old.

Mr. Xu began his hunger strike on October 4 to protest his treatment and rights violations in Lunan Prison in Shandong Province, according to the China Human Rights Defenders, or Chrd.

His post raised concerns about his poor health among fellow activists, who called on the Chinese government to provide him with “proper medical care”. The Chrd called for Mr Xu’s immediate and unconditional release from what he described as “unjust detention”.

According to his lawyer, Mr. Xu is being held in isolation and three fellow inmates have been accused of monitoring him around the clock.

He has been deprived of phone calls and materials to read or write, while his family claims they never received any of the letters he wrote, Radio Free Asia reported.

In the penitentiary system it is said that he is called “Prisoner no. 003′ rather than by his name.

Mr. Xu lost about 5kg in 20 days, Chrd said, adding that prison authorities had not confirmed whether he was receiving medical care during his strike.

His partner Li Qiaochu, an activist, was released from prison in August after serving a 44-month sentence, handed down in part for accusing authorities of torturing Mr. Xu.

Mr. Xu and fellow lawyer Ding Jiaxi were tried behind closed doors in June 2022 on charges of subversion of the state in Linshu County in northeastern Shandong Province.

They are prominent figures in the New Citizens Movement and have served prison terms before. The movement, founded in 2010, calls for greater transparency about the wealth of public officials and advocates for citizens to exercise their rights as written in the constitution.

Mr Xu has written an open letter calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to resign over the country’s mishandling of the crisis.

He was arrested in February 2020.

“I am worried about Xu Zhiyong’s dire condition. He is risking his life to protest against this inhumane treatment, and the authorities are tightly controlling his family and relatives,” said Sophie Luo, activist and Mr. Ding’s wife.

“They are basically silenced, warned not to reveal any information about Xu. No lawyer was allowed to visit him.”

Ms Luo said her husband had recently been deprived of his right to communicate with his family for the second time.

Chrd called on concerned governments and UN human rights bodies to urgently press Beijing to provide care and release Mr Xu.

“As the hunger strike enters its third week, it is critical that governments declare their unequivocal support for Xu Zhiyong and other writers and dissidents wrongfully imprisoned in China,” said Liesl Gerntholtz of the Center for Freedom of Expression PEN/Barbey writing.

Mr. Xu was named an Honorary Fellow of the Independent Chinese PEN Center in 2013 and honored with the PEN America 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.

Beijing has been accused of sharply cracking down on dissent since Xi took over as president in 2012. China, however, has rejected allegations of human rights abuses, saying jailed lawyers and human rights activists are criminals who broke the law.