Ding Jiaxi

{{Infobox person

| native_name = {{nobold|丁家喜}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|8|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hubei, China

| death_date =

| death_place =

| movement = New Citizens Movement

| criminal_charges = Disruption of public order (politically motivated)

| criminal_penalty = Imprisonment (12 Years)

| known_for = Civil rights advocacy, advocacy of constitutionalism

| occupation = Legal scholar, lecturer

}}

Ding Jiaxi ({{lang-zh|s=丁家喜}}; born 17 August 1967) is a Chinese civil rights activist known for co-organizing the New Citizens' Movement advocating for political change in China. Ding was detained, along with other human rights activists, in 2019 after having a dinner together in Xiamen with other human rights activists to discuss social issues.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/08/world/asia/china-rights-defense-activists.html|title=Trial Looms After Seaside Gathering of Chinese Activists|first=Chris|last=Buckley|date=January 8, 2022|via=NYTimes.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3045657/china-human-rights-activist-ding-jiaxi-under-investigation|title=Rights activist Ding Jiaxi investigated for 'incitement of subversion'|date=January 11, 2020|website=South China Morning Post}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/concerns-12272021103026.html|title=Concerns grow for health of rights lawyer, dissident detained in Xiamen crackdown|website=Radio Free Asia}} He was then sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022 for subversion of state power. According to Ding's wife, evidence for charges against Ding and other detainees include "participating in a Telegram group chat, articles and online posts, and organizing classes in non-violent resistance."

Ding was the recipient of the U.S. Department of State's Global Human Rights Defender Award in 2023.{{cite web |title=Annual Global Human Rights Defender Award Recipients Announced |url=https://2021-2025.state.gov/annual-global-human-rights-defender-award-recipients-announced/ |website=Department of State |access-date=4 May 2025}} In 2024, Ding was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his "commitment to human rights and peace in China" by the chairs of Congressional-Executive Commission on China.{{cite web |title=Congressional-Executive Commission on China |url=https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/documents/Nobel%20Letter%206.0_0.pdf |website=cecc.gov |access-date=30 April 2024}}

Conviction

In June 2022, Ding and Xu Zhiyong were given prison sentences for 14 and 12 years, respectively, after a closed-door trial in June 2022. The convictions were described as farcical by Human Rights Watch.{{cite web |last1=Yong |first1=Nicholas |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-65229269 |title=China jails prominent legal activists Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi |date=10 April 2023 |work=BBC News |access-date=10 April 2023}}

=International response=

Before Ding's conviction, on 18 March 2022 ahead of the EU–China summit, NGOs including Human Rights Watch, World Uyghur Congress, and Front Line Defenders sent a joint letter to the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council, urging the EU and its member states to, among other things, publicly call for the release of detained human rights defenders in China, including Ding.{{cite web |title=Joint NGO letter ahead of EU-China summit |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/18/joint-ngo-letter-ahead-eu-china-summit |website=Human Rights Watch |access-date=4 May 2025}}

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated in April 2023 that "I am very concerned that two prominent human rights defenders in China – Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong – have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, at variance with international human rights law standards."{{cite news |title=Comment by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on sentencing of human rights defenders in China |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/04/comment-un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-sentencing-human-rights-defenders |access-date=30 April 2024 |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |date=April 10, 2023}}

Ding, along with Xu and human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung, received the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) Human Rights Award 2023 for their "courage, determination and commitment to defending human rights and the rule of law in China". CCBE President Panagiotis Perakis stated that "European lawyers will continue to closely monitor the situation and support their Chinese colleagues who need help. We will never accept that lawyers are targeted because of their legitimate activities as lawyers."{{cite web |title=CCBE Human Rights Award 2023 |url=https://www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/Pressreleases/2023/EN_HR_20231122_PR_0423.pdf |website=Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe |access-date=17 May 2024}}

Ding was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 by chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China Christopher Smith and Jeff Merkley, commending on Ding's "deep commitment to human rights and peace in China".

Ding Jiaxi

Conviction

=International response=

See also