Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Yu Wensheng Released After 3-Year Sentence for Inciting Subversion
Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng was released from prison in Jiangsu on April 13, 2026, after completing a three-year sentence for 'inciting subversion of state power'. He was arrested in April 2023 with his wife, Xu Yan, while en route to meet an EU delegation; Xu was sentenced to 1 year and 9 months. Yu had previously represented lawyers from the '709 Crackdown'.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 10:53
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 11:01 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 01:50 (14h 48m after Collected)
On April 13, 2026, Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng was released from prison in Jiangsu province upon completion of his sentence. His wife, Xu Yan, confirmed his return to Beijing. In April 2023, Yu and Xu were detained by Beijing police while en route to a meeting with the EU delegation in China. They were subsequently charged with 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' and 'inciting subversion of state power'. Yu was sentenced to three years, while Xu received a sentence of one year and nine months. Yu, 59, is known for representing lawyers in the '709 Crackdown' case and has a history of multiple arrests.