19 September 2022 marks one year in detention for two young Chinese human rights defenders: Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist and key actor in China’s #MeToo movement, and Wang Jianbing, a labour rights advocate.

The Rights Practice, along with 25 other civil society groups, sign a joint statement to call on Chinese authorities to respect and protect their rights in detention, including access to legal counsel, unfettered communication with family members, their right to health and their right to bodily autonomy. We emphasise that their detention is arbitrary, and we call for their release and for authorities to allow them to carry out their work and make important contributions to social justice.

Read the statement in full: China must protect the rights of detained human rights defenders Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing.