就许志永绝食抗争一事的公开救助信

就许志永绝食抗争一事向国际社会、各人权组织、华人团体的求助公开信（英文附在下方）
原文链接：https://free-xu-ding.github.io/open-letter-cn-2024-11-12/

尊敬的女士们、先生们：

截至2024年11月12日，中国公民运动及维权代表人物许志永已绝食40天。我们可以确认的信息：

绝食唯一的具体诉求“恢复与其未婚妻李翘楚的通信权”未被鲁南监狱批准；
官方一再作梗，使得许志永至今未被允许会见律师，更无任何渠道向外传递真实的身体状况和绝食与否的自主意愿表达；
许志永虽成功会见了家属，但家属遭到严重警告威胁，监狱及有关部门企图通过控家属以平息外界对其绝食抗争的关注热度。

10月23日获悉，许志永为了抗议鲁南监狱非法剥夺其与未婚妻李翘楚的通信权，从10月4日开始进行绝食抗争。据悉，两人在8月被允许正常通信，李翘楚患有抑郁症，令狱中的志永非常挂心；加之许志永2020年被抓捕后，李翘楚为支持他奔走呼吁、竭尽全力，也因此被株连、被打击报复，后被不公正审判3年8个月，爱人的付出和牺牲都让志永感动不已，也格外珍惜与她仅有的交流通道。但是，通信自9月被非法中断，许志永之后屡次争取，却遭审核的故意刁难；尤其是狱警当着他的面将信撕碎这一人格侮辱的举动，迫使他将抗争升级到了绝食程度。许志永并非不珍爱生命，这正是为了不再被人格侮辱、夺回被剥夺权利作出的义无反顾的决定。

其实，自今年7月海外就曾报道许志永在鲁南监狱被非法剥权基本人权、被以配备“包夹”等方式进行精神虐待的消息。而之后的几个月，鲁南监狱不断升级着严管手段，尽管处境艰难，许志永也一直坚持抗争，只是无法被外界知晓。

目前，40天的绝食，他的健康状况如何？是否被采取强制灌食等不人道的医疗手段？鲁南监狱是否对他进行惩罚、胁迫、继续虐待和尊严剥夺？这一切事关许志永生命安全的重要信息，都被鲁南监狱以卑劣非法的手段挡在高墙之内。

为捍卫基本权利，许志永在狱中穷尽了一切合法抗争途径，来自外界的行动和关注也一直持续，当一些国家、人权组织、社会团体等发表声明之后，面对谴责、质问和敦促，中国政府没有回应，甚至作为“流氓打手部门”的鲁南监狱也一再否认绝食事实、欺骗公众、施压家属，意欲将该事件拖到不了了之，同时对自己的违法行为视而不见，更无从实现许志永的权利保障和待遇改善问题。因此，许志永绝食抗争的个案，值得各国政府相关部门、各国政要、国际社会各人权组织等特别关注。

就目前掌握的信息，许志永在狱中的身心状况到了非常危急的时刻。关注组希望通过这封公开的求助信，向国际社会、人权组织、华人团体等紧急呼吁，希望各组织、团体通过广泛的发声和有效的行动，保持对该事件的关注热度，继续向中国政府及鲁南监狱施压。我们的具体诉求如下：

（一）确保许志永在鲁南监狱得到充分的医疗照护，防止绝食导致健康状况进一步恶化；
（二）确保许志永免受酷刑或不人道待遇，其羁押条件符合中国法律和国际人权标准；
（三）尊重和保障许志永与其未婚妻李翘楚合法通信的权利，禁止执行部门及具体人员对其通信恶意限制、侮辱人格的行为再次发生；
（四）保障许志永会见律师的权利，能够通过律师传递真实情况和自主意愿表达；
（五）希望各组织、团体敦促民主政府采取有效行动，无论是公开发表声明，还是鼓励驻华外交官亲自探视许志永，亲自核实他的身心健康状况。

最后，我们衷心感谢国际社会一直以来对中国维权人士的支持和帮助。许志永是北大法学博士，他以自己的专业能力、行动力和领导力，为推动中国人权和民主事业付诸努力，2013年因其活跃的维权运动，被当局抓捕，后被判刑四年；他出狱后，仍然坚持着自己的理想和信念。2019年底，因倡导公民聚会，许志永被迫在自己的祖国流亡，在流亡期间发表了给习近平的《劝退书》。2020年2月被当局报复性抓捕，即使在非法关押、遭受酷刑，他也从未低头认罪。2023年他被当局重判14年。许志永为实现美好中国付出了巨大的牺牲，他不惧怕漫长的刑期和严酷的虐待。人类为正义和自由的奋斗艰难不会停息。请相信，你们对许志永的关注和支持，将会捍卫正义，并激励超越国界、宗教和政治意识形态的变革。

厦门聚会案关注组
2024年11月12日

An Open Letter Seeking the Support of the International Community, Human Rights Organisations, and Chinese Diaspora Groups Regarding the Hunger Strike of Xu Zhiyong

Dear Sir/Madam,

As of 12 November 2024, Xu Zhiyong, a leading figure in China’s civil rights movement, has been on hunger strike for 40 days. The confirmed details of his case are as follows:

1. Xu’s sole demand is to resume communication rights with his fiancée, Li Qiaochu, and this right has been repeatedly denied by the authorities at Lunan Prison, where Xu is serving a 14-year sentence.
2. Chinese officials have obstructed Xu’s access to his lawyer, effectively severing any means of conveying his physical condition or communicating his autonomous wishes regarding his hunger strike.
3. Although Xu recently managed to meet with family members, they were subjected to intimidation, coercion, and severe warnings by prison officials and relevant authorities to prevent attention being drawn to Xu’s protest.

On 23 October, it was revealed that Xu Zhiyong began his hunger strike on 4 October to protest Lunan Prison’s illegal denial of his right to correspond with Li Qiaochu. He had been permitted to communicate with her since August. Learning of Li’s struggles with depression has weighed heavily on Xu’s mind; additionally, since Xu’s detention in 2020, Li has campaigned tirelessly for his freedom and, as a result, was unjustly sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. Li's sacrifice and dedication are deeply moving to Xu, and corresponding with her is the only channel for him to maintain contact with her. However, since September, their communication has been obstructed, with Xu’s repeated attempts to restore it being blocked by the prison’s arbitrary censorship. When a prison officer recently tore up Li Qiaochu’s letter to him before his eyes, this act of deliberate humiliation and degradation drove Xu to escalate his protest to a hunger strike — a decision not made lightly but compelled by his firm desire to reclaim his dignity and the fundamental rights denied to him.

As a matter of fact, reports emerged as early as July this year detailing Lunan Prison’s illegal restrictions on Xu’s basic human rights, including psychological abuse such as placing him under constant surveillance by assigned monitors known as “bao jia”, which severely restrict his movements and isolate him. Over the past few months, Lunan Prison has intensified these oppressive measures. Despite grueling conditions, Xu has persisted in his resistance, though the extent of his struggle has remained hidden from public knowledge.

Now, 40 days into his hunger strike, Xu’s health has undoubtedly reached a critical juncture. There are urgent questions regarding his physical condition: whether he has been subjected to forced feeding or other inhumane treatment, and if Lunan Prison has punished, coerced, or continued to abuse him. Such vital information concerning Xu Zhiyong’s safety and well-being remains hidden behind Lunan's prison walls due to deplorable and unlawful obstructions.

In defense of his fundamental rights, Xu Zhiyong has exhausted every lawful means of protest available to him within the prison system. External support has been continuous, with statements of concern issued by various governments, human rights organisations, and civil society groups. The Chinese government has thus far remained silent in the face of these criticisms and demands for accountability. Meanwhile, Lunan Prison—effectively acting as an instrument of repression—has denied the hunger strike, misled the public, pressured Xu’s family, and is intent on forcing this situation to fade into obscurity. At the same time, they continue to disregard their own legal violations, ignoring Xu Zhiyong’s rights and any possibility of improving his conditions of detention.

For this reason, Xu’s hunger strike urgently requires the attention of democratic governments, heads of state, international human rights organisations, and all who advocate for justice and human dignity.

Based on available information, Xu’s physical and mental state is now in a life-threatening condition. Through this open letter, we urgently call upon the international community, human rights organisations, and Chinese diaspora groups to stay attentive to his case and to continue pressuring the Chinese government and Lunan Prison through vocal support and effective, timely actions. Our specific appeals are as follows:

1. Ensure that Xu Zhiyong receives appropriate medical care at Lunan Prison to prevent further deterioration of his health due to the hunger strike;
2. Ensure that Xu is not subjected to torture or inhumane treatment, and that his detention conditions meet both Chinese law and international human rights standards;
3. Respect and protect Xu Zhiyong’s right to communicate with his fiancée, Li Qiaochu, and prohibit any deliberate restrictions or acts of degradation by prison officials infringing on this right;
4. Uphold Xu Zhiyong’s right to meet with his lawyer so he may directly communicate his condition and intentions;
5. Urge democratic governments and human rights bodies to take effective measures, whether through issuing public statements or encouraging diplomatic representatives in China to visit Xu Zhiyong directly to verify his health and safety.

Finally, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the international community for its enduring support and assistance to Chinese human rights defenders. Xu Zhiyong, who holds a PhD in law from Peking University, has dedicated his professional talent, energy, and leadership to advancing human rights and democratic values in China. In 2013, he was arrested for his vigorous activism and sentenced to four years in prison. Upon release, he continued to uphold his ideals and beliefs. At the end of 2019, Xu was forced into hiding in his own country after organizing a civil gathering for political reform. During this period, Xu issued an open letter urging the Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping to step down. In February 2020, Chinese authorities detained him. Despite the torture and mistreatment, he endured in custody, Xu has never compromised his principles. In 2023, he was handed a new 14-year sentence.

Xu Zhiyong has made immense sacrifices in his fight for a better China, demonstrating tremendous courage in the face of a long prison term and relentless abuse. Humanity’s struggle for justice and freedom is unceasing, and we believe that your attention and support for Xu Zhiyong will not only stand as a defence of what is just, but also inspire change that transcends borders, religions, and political ideologies.

Xiamen Gathering Case Support Group
12 November 2024