Case Details and Biography of Arrested Shandong Human Rights Lawyer Yu Kai

On April 8, 2026, this outlet learned the details of the case and biography of arrested Shandong human rights lawyer Yu Kai, which are reported as follows:

Yu Kai: Born in 1970, a native of Weihai, Shandong Province; deputy director of the Criminal Legal Risk Prevention Professional Committee of the Shandong Lawyers Association; former part-time professor, master's supervisor and director of the Criminal Defense Research Center at the School of Law of Qingdao University of Science and Technology; director of Shandong Xiaolin Law Firm; and a human rights lawyer.

From 1994 to 2003, he worked as a police officer in the economic crimes investigation and legal affairs departments of public security organs; later, because he could not stand the various disgraceful practices within the system, he resolutely left the police force and became a practicing lawyer in 2004. Since then, he has devoted himself for many years to the development of the rule of law and the protection of the rights of disadvantaged groups; initially, he served as director of the Criminal Research Center at Beijing Dacheng (Qingdao) Law Firm, while also serving as a member of the Criminal Committee of the All China Lawyers Association and deputy director of the Criminal Legal Risk Prevention Professional Committee of the Shandong Lawyers Association; beginning in 2013, he was successively appointed part-time professor, master's supervisor and director of the Unit Crime Research Center at the School of Law of Qingdao University of Science and Technology; in 2015, he was also invited to the University of Akron in the United States as a visiting scholar; in June 2019, as a senior legal practitioner, he co-authored and published the legal book Practical Analysis of Unit Crimes; in September 2021, he began independently operating Shandong Xiaolin Law Firm and serving as its director, with services covering criminal defense, representation in criminal-civil crossover cases, and criminal risk prevention and control;

In August 2023, because he and five other lawyers/legal workers—Lan Qingzhou, Ma Xiaolin, Yu Zhaoyan and Zhang Wenpeng—jointly submitted relevant legislative proposals to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (principally proposing the abolition of the “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” offense), and affixed the official seal of “Shandong Xiaolin Law Firm,” they touched a sensitive nerve at the Qingdao Municipal Justice Bureau. They were consequently soon accused of “improperly hyping cases,” and the law firm was ordered to suspend operations for rectification for six months, while he personally was suspended from practice for one year; it was not until January 2025 that his law firm completed its rectification period, and he did not resume practicing until July of that year;

On March 26, 2026, after filing a real-name report against Deng Huanli, director of the Qingdao Municipal Justice Bureau, he publicly held up a placard outside the gates of the Ministry of Justice in Beijing. The content of the placard directly accused Deng Huanli of multiple serious offenses, including “abuse of power,” “dereliction of duty by failing to transfer criminal cases involving favoritism and fraud,” and “unexplained sources of huge amounts of property.” During the reporting process, he lawfully submitted the Statement on the Illegal Practice of Establishing a List of “Key-Control Lawyers” and made reasonable demands, including “autonomy for bar associations, freedom not to pay fees,” and “abolishing annual inspections of lawyers' licenses.” However, instead of receiving a friendly and reasonable reply or response, he was inexplicably taken by police from Beijing's Xicheng District to the local Fuxuijing Police Station and detained. The following day, he was criminally detained on suspicion of “the crime of disturbing public order.” After learning that he had suddenly gone missing, several lawyers in Beijing went to Fuxuijing Police Station to inquire about the situation. Unexpectedly, the incident subsequently escalated, and several of the lawyers who went there—including Lu Siwei, Bao Longjun and Wang Yu—were also taken away or summoned by police in succession, in some cases temporarily. The incident quickly attracted considerable attention from the outside world. Public opinion called on the authorities not to characterize a complainant or whistleblower as “disturbing public order” merely because their complaint touched on systemic issues, particularly matters involving management mechanisms, and urged that he be released and regain his freedom as soon as possible. He is currently detained at the Beijing Xicheng District Detention Center (No. A3, Dougezhuang Village, Qiliqu Township, Changping District, Beijing; postal code: 102206).