Political Prisoner Trials · Full chronicle and history

The first-instance trial of the child abduction case involving two children in Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, was held at the Zhenxiong County People's Court. Numerous parents searching for their missing children gathered outside the court, holding up posters and long banners in support.

The US Congress and Administrative Authorities China Committee (CECC) issued a statement noting that Ilham Tuheti has been serving a life sentence for the crime of "splitting the state" for 12 years. In reality, he has been dedicated to Uyghur-Han dialogue to bridge differences, and called for Trump and Xi Jinping to pay attention to his case during their meeting.

[Follow-up · September 23, 2026] On September 23, the US Congress and Administrative Authorities China Committee (CECC) stated that as the US President and Xi Jinping are about to hold a dialogue, the Ilham Tuheti case should be placed on the agenda, and his unconditional release should become an urgent priority.

On September 22, UK Prime Minister Burnham met with Trump in New York, demanding the immediate release of Jimmy Lai and asking if Trump could raise the case during his talks with Xi Jinping.

On September 22, the UK representative at the UN Human Rights Council called for the repeal of Hong Kong's National Security Law and the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai, who has been sentenced.

On September 21, the Georgetown University Center for Asian Law and Boyden House in New York will host the English-language book launch and symposium for Xu Zhiyong's 'Beautiful China' in Washington. As the founder of the New Citizen Movement, Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to 14 years in prison in April 2023 for promoting educational equality and the public disclosure of officials' assets, and he is currently still serving his sentence.

On September 11, 2026, the Hong Kong High Court sentenced leaders of the Alliance for Patriotic Democratic Movements of Hong Kong (ADPL), Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho Chun-yan, to five, six, and seven years in prison respectively for subversion of state power. The Hong Kong SAR government and the Legislative Council subsequently issued statements firmly supporting the verdict and accusing the US, the West, and overseas organizations of slander and smearing. Police Commissioner Raymond Siu warned that there are still hidden criminals. The EU issued a statement saying the trial was politically motivated and warned of damage to Hong Kong's rule of law reputation; the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the abolition of the penalty and demanded that the National Security Law comply with international human rights standards.

The Pentagon held its 25th-anniversary commemoration of the 9/11 attacks on Friday. U.S. President Trump, the First Lady, Secretary of Defense Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dunkey attended with families of the victims. The names of the deceased were read one by one during the ceremony, and the American flag was unfurled on the exterior wall of the Pentagon. In his speech, Trump emphasized remembering history, paid tribute to anti-terrorism soldiers and rescue personnel, and mentioned preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The influencer "Tietou" (Dong Guangming) was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Binjiang Court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, for organizing a team to expose social darkness, including scams involving elderly health products and shortchanging at seafood markets. His team members were also sentenced. The official reason given was "extortion," but the video argues this is a fabricated charge aimed at suppressing those who reveal the truth.

On the eve of Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, Xu Zhiyong's collected works "Beautiful China English Edition" was released at the Georgetown University Law Center, outlining a vision for a free, democratic, and constitutional China.

The Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People's Congress issued an announcement removing Cai Chaohui from his posts as Vice Governor and Director of the Public Security Bureau due to a job reassignment.

The Hainan Provincial Government issued an administrative reconsideration decision, ruling that the Hainan Provincial Public Security Bureau's refusal to disclose the allocation details of the 517 million auction funds to Tan Dekui was illegal, but made no compensation ruling.

Rights campaigner Xu Zhiyong has been on a hunger strike for 40 days in protest against Lunan Prison depriving him of his right to communicate with his fiancée Li Qiaochu. Currently, Xu Zhiyong cannot meet with his lawyers, making it difficult for the outside world to know his specific physical condition.

Liu Xingtai, former member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial CPC Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, fell from power due to suspected severe disciplinary violations and crimes. In August of the same year, he was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in the first instance for accepting bribes totaling 316 million yuan.

Dong Changqing, former member of the Party Committee and deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Public Security Department, is suspected of serious disciplinary violations and is under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Chinese constitutional scholar and New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a court on charges of subversion of state power, marking his second imprisonment.

Rights lawyers and civic activists such as Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, and Wu Shaoping gathered in Xiamen, Fujian to discuss current affairs and the development of civil society in China, prompting a nationwide crackdown by the Chinese authorities.

The Haikou Intermediate Court issued an enforcement ruling, transferring the ownership of the real estate and vehicles under Shanhaiguan Company to the buyer, Guanyang Sitong Company, in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law, and handled the transfer of registration.

Jia Guichen, the major shareholder of Shanhaiguan, was sentenced for suspected illegal fund-raising. The Public Security Department of Hainan Province illegally auctioned land and under-construction projects owned by the Shanhaiguan company valued at 517 million as a whole.

Tan Deku and his partner Jia Guichen jointly acquired Sanya Shanhaiguan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Tan Deku invested funds and served as the project manager in charge of developing the Shanhai Jingyuan residential community.