7 July 2025

The Rights Practice, and 30 other organisations, urge concerned governments and the United Nations to establish an independent, international investigation into Beijing’s persecution of civil society, ten years after the Chinese government’s widespread crackdown on human rights lawyers.

No Chinese authorities have been held accountable for grave rights abuses against lawyers and human rights defenders, emboldening the government to commit increasingly widespread and systematic human rights violations. Those include possible crimes against humanity in the Uyghur region, according to the UN.

On 9 July 2015, authorities across China launched an unprecedented assault on human rights lawyers and rule of law activists, an incident now known as the “709” crackdown. Police seized over 300 lawyers and activists—most of the people undertaking such work. In the days and months that followed, many were forcibly disappeared and dozens arbitrarily detained. Authorities imprisoned ten lawyers and activists on baseless charges, sentencing them to between three to eight years in prison. Officials inflicted collective punishment on family members, including children, for their association with and advocacy for their loved ones.

Over the past decade, our organisations have helped elevate the voices of people affected by the “709” crackdown. On this tenth anniversary, we call collectively for urgent action by concerned governments, including those serving on the UN Human Rights Council.

CLICK TO READ JOINT STATEMENT