10.29
·Reported
·Importance III
·Sources 1
·China
The human rights organization Safeguard Defenders has released a new edition of the book 'The People's Republic of the Disappeared.' It includes first-hand accounts of secret detention under the 'Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location' (RSDL) system from Chinese rights lawyers, journalists, NGO workers, as well as Michael Kovrig, Cheng Lei, and Lee Ming-che, and offers a free PDF download.
10.23
·Reported
·Importance II
·Sources 1
·Shenyang
The trial of Shenyang petitioner Fu Youling, charged with the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, has opened; the prosecution recommended a fixed-term prison sentence of two years.
10.19
·Verified
·Importance III
·Sources 1
·China
The Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Health Commission, and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration jointly issued standards defining the scope of serious illnesses and criteria for identifying inability to care for oneself for temporary execution of sentences outside prison.
10.17
·Developing
·Importance III
·Sources 1
According to a tip-off from X user @LeiYang8964, a mainland Chinese netizen was sentenced by the authorities to three years and six months in prison for the crime of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" after posting remarks on an overseas social platform that defamed and attacked the country's leaders and the national system. This incident reflects the Chinese government's severe control over and punishment of domestic netizens' speech on overseas platforms.
09.19
·Reported
·Importance III
·Sources 1
·Dalian
On September 19, Hong Guangyu, a former reporter for the Beijing Science and Technology Report and a popular science author on food safety, was taken away across provinces in Xiamen by the Zhongshan Branch of the Dalian Public Security Bureau. He was criminally detained on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble and is currently being held at the Dalian Detention Center. Netizens exposed the incident on September 24, and his family confirmed it.
09.17
·Reported
·Importance IV
·Sources 1
·Puan County
On September 17, it was circulated online that the Justice Bureau of Puan County, Guizhou Province, issued a notice requiring local lawyers, when handling cases related to cracking down on organized crime, to report to the county justice bureau for study and obtain approval before they can present defense arguments that involve changing the characterization of a crime, and demanding that all law firms strictly enforce this.
09.16
·Reported
·Importance III
·Sources 1
·Dalian
On September 16, Dalian fruit grower Yu Kewei, who participated in the rights-defense campaign over the death of cherry trees, was approved for arrest on suspicion of the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble; the charges are related to his online speech. Ji Xiaowei and several other fruit growers engaged in rights defense had previously been arrested as well.
09.12
·Reported
·Importance IV
·Sources 1
·Hexian
Yin Jiangen, a self-media person from Zhuzhou, was arrested across provinces in August 2025 for posting criticisms of officials, including Liu Ying, the Party Secretary of Liyang Town, Hexian County, Anhui Province. On August 6, 2026, the Hexian Court sentenced him to two years and three months in prison in the first instance for the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Yin Jiangen disagreed and filed an appeal.
09.11
·Reported
·Importance IV
·Sources 1
·Lanzhou
On September 11, the Chengguan District Court in Lanzhou delivered its first-instance verdict: migrant worker Jing Shuren was found guilty of nine counts of picking quarrels and provoking trouble for reposting posts demanding unpaid wages and debt collection, and was sentenced to 4 years; Zhou Lubao, a co-defendant, received 14 years for picking quarrels and provoking trouble and extortion. Jing Shuren was the only one of the seven defendants who had not taken a single cent. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 7 years and 6 months; after the charge of leading an evil force was dropped and he was reclassified as an accomplice, he was still sentenced to 4 years. All seven stated in court that they would appeal.
09.05
·Reported
·Importance II
·Sources 1
·Guangxi Nanning
On September 5, 2026, several migrant workers in Guangxi hung banners outside the gate of the Southwest Company of CCCC First Harbor Engineering Bureau and blocked the entrance with vehicles to demand unpaid wages; after rights defenders posted videos online, they were intimidated and threatened with charges such as "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
2026.08
·Reported
·Importance III
·Sources 3
·China
In August 2026, prominent criminal defense lawyer Chen Youxi publicly pointed out that in multiple cases involving fallen officials, the case-handling authorities appointed legal aid lawyers to crowd out the lawyers retained by family members, effectively depriving the parties of their right to defense.
07.08
·Reported
·Importance IV
·Sources 1
·China
On July 8, 2026, the public interest organization Asia Lawyers Network released a report disclosing that the crackdown on lawyers in China has extended to the civil and commercial sectors, with lawyers frequently facing criminal prosecution by authorities using criminal charges to replace civil litigation when handling civil and commercial disputes.
07.01
·Verified
·Importance IV
·Sources 1
·北京市海淀区
Zhang Naixian, an independent film director in Beijing, was taken away from his home by multiple police (Public Security) officers on the evening of July 1 for posting satirical comments about the authorities on the X platform. His family later received a criminal detention notice for the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble issued by the Haidian Branch.
2026.07
·Reported
·Importance III
·Sources 1
·Junlian County, Sichuan
After the case was accepted, it remained unhandled for a long time; Lin attempted suicide by slashing his or her wrist shortly afterward, and his or her lawyer says Lin was subsequently diagnosed with severe depression by a hospital.
06.26
·Official claim
·Importance IV
·Sources 2
·Beijing, China
In late June 2026, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress released the draft amendment to the Lawyers Law, with new clauses explicitly requiring practicing lawyers to support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist rule of law, and mandating that law firms establish grassroots Party organizations in accordance with the Party Constitution.