Famed human rights lawyer Xie Yang sentenced today to five years for “inciting subversion of state power” over his speech

（Rights Defense Network Information Center report）On March 23, 2026，this outlet learned：famed human rights lawyer Xie Yang was convicted for his speech，and today was sentenced to five years by the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court for “inciting subversion of state power”。

According to Ms. Chen Guiqiu：“On March 23, 2026，lawyer Xie Yang was sentenced to five years by the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court for “inciting subversion of state power”，and had RMB 100,000 in property confiscated. The reason for the verdict was some of Xie Yang’s WeChat statements。

During the trial，no defense lawyer participated，and apart from several of Xie Yang’s relatives，there were also dozens of unfamiliar people in the gallery who had participated in arranging the performance. Xie Yang stated in court that he would appeal。

At the time，the national security police even stole the safe from his home，and all the cash inside was stolen by the national security police.”

Lawyer Xie Yang’s résumé：Born on February 4, 1972，in Changsha, Hunan Province，formerly a lawyer with Tiandiren Law Firm and Changsha Jingyingke Law Firm，formerly a lawyer with Hunan Gangwei Law Firm，human rights lawyer，Chinese political prisoner in custody。

Since formally beginning to practice law in 2011，he has repeatedly faced obstruction and coercive suppression by judicial authorities for representing multiple cases involving abuses of public power，such as the Xue Mingkai case in Qufu County, Shandong Province、the Zhang Baocheng case related to the New Citizens Movement in Beijing、the Nanle Church case in Nanle County, Henan Province、and the Zhang Kaihua land requisition case in Liuyang City, Hunan Province，and for actively following and participating in social rights-defense movements（including visiting blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng and supporting the lawyers arrested in Jiansanjiang, among others）；

On November 15, 2011，he was beaten and robbed by local criminal forces for going alone to Dongshigu Village in Shandong Province to visit blind lawyer Chen Guangchen；

In August 2013，while representing a civil lending dispute and requesting the result of the collegiate bench’s deliberations in order to protect his client’s interests，he was fined RMB 50,000 by the Hunan Lawyers Association and was required by his law firm to terminate his contract and leave；

On February 13, 2014，for serving as entrusted counsel in the “Shandong Xue Family Murder Case,” he was taken away by authorities of the Hunan Provincial Department of Justice for “talks over tea”；on February 20, 2014，while representing Zhang Kaihua’s land rights-defense case in Liuyang City, Hunan Province, he encountered brutal obstruction by the local court when appearing in court；from October 2013 to May 2014，because he had repeatedly represented rights-defense cases, he was subjected to disguised suppression by the Hunan Lawyers Association, which refused to approve the procedures for transferring to another firm；

In March 2015，because he actively represented multiple cases involving forced land requisition and demolition in Yuhua District, Changsha City，he was illegally expelled by the local court while representing farmers from Lianhu Village in an administrative lawsuit over land requisition；on May 17, 2015，because he represented a rights-defense case for a party involved in a case concerning the Beibu Gulf Building Materials Market in Nanning, Guangxi，he was attacked with weapons by several unidentified people，sustaining serious injuries and a fracture to his right leg，and although he reported it to the police，the local police nevertheless delayed dispatching officers；

On July 11, 2015，he was taken away by police in Changsha, Hunan Province, during the Chinese Communist Party’s “709 mass arrests”，and was subsequently placed under residential surveillance at a designated location on suspicion of the two offenses of “disrupting court order” and “inciting subversion of state power”、while requests by his defense lawyers to meet with him were denied；

On January 9, 2016，he was formally arrested by Changsha police on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”；

On May 8, 2017，his case was heard at the Changsha Intermediate Court in Hunan Province，but because he was forced to plead guilty in court and denied having been tortured，he was provisionally released on bail that day；on December 26 of the same year，he was formally sentenced by the Changsha Intermediate Court：found guilty of inciting subversion of state power but exempted from criminal punishment；although he was not sentenced to prison，he nevertheless remained under long-term house arrest and close surveillance；

On January 11, 2022，Xie Yang was taken away by Changsha police and lost contact after going to Yongshun County, Hunan Province, at the end of 2022 to support pregnant female teacher Li Tiantian, who had been forcibly confined in a psychiatric hospital for posting comments online; it was later learned that he had been criminally detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”；his residence was searched, many personal belongings were damaged, and two computers and a safe were taken away；on February 17, 2022，he was formally arrested by the Changsha Procuratorate on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”。He was tortured in prison. Lawyer Xie Yang is currently detained at Changsha No. 1 Detention Center（No. 1736 Yuanda 2nd Road, Quantang Subdistrict, Changsha County, Changsha City, Hunan Province，postal code：410131）。

On March 23, 2026，lawyer Xie Yang was sentenced to five years by the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court for “inciting subversion of state power”，and had RMB 100,000 in property confiscated. The reason for the verdict was some of Xie Yang’s WeChat statements. His sentence runs until January 10, 2027。

This outlet will continue to follow lawyer Xie Yang’s situation.