Ding Jiaxi's Wife Luo Shengchun Overcomes Depression After Heavy Sentence to Speak Out for Civil Rights
Luo Shengchun, the wife of jailed Chinese human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, has emerged as a prominent activist in the US. Overcoming personal depression and the trauma of her husband's 12-year sentence, she founded the 'Citizens' Rights Alliance' to document China's exit bans and promote civic education for the next generation.
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- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 14:30
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 29th) The CCP's crackdown on dissidents has broken many families, but it has also allowed brave women to find their calling overseas. Luo Shengchun, the wife of lawyer Ding Jiaxi, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison, has gone through a transformation from depression to resilience. Today, she is dedicated to human rights advocacy and promoting civic education abroad.
The "Citizens' Rights Alliance," established by Luo in the United States, focuses on civic education and the protection of civil rights. This is not only a continuation of her husband's unfinished work but also a concrete practice of her long-held democratic ideals since her youth.
In December last year, the official website of the "Citizens' Rights Alliance" released the "Real-Name Report on Chinese Citizens' Exit Ban Cases." Luo told Central News Agency that the authorities arbitrarily use border control (disallowing citizens to freely leave and enter China) to persecute human rights defenders, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minorities. "China is a big prison," she said. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" clearly states that citizens have the right to enter and leave their country, but the CCP completely ignores international conventions and even its own laws.
Furthermore, the "Citizens' Rights Alliance" is committed to promoting civic education, inviting overseas Chinese students to compile teaching materials and teaching immigrants courses on the "Citizens' Behavior Guide." The overall direction is to "change yourself, change others."
● Ding Jiaxi Imprisoned: Mother-in-law Witnessed Cultural Revolution and Gasped at History Repeating
Ding Jiaxi's name is often linked with Xu Ziyong, a famous Chinese legal scholar and activist. Luo said the two share very consistent philosophies, believing that the concept of "citizen" is written in China's constitution and laws, and "one just needs to take it seriously." Thus, they taught people how to defend their own rights, such as demanding equal rights to education. Ding acted like an "operations manager" for Xu, helping to realize many of his political ambitions.
In 2013, the two were first imprisoned on trumped-up charges, and were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. However, they continued their work together, causing fear among the authorities. In December 2019, they met with others in Xiamen to discuss current events and China's future; subsequently, many participants were detained. In April 2023, Xu Ziyong and Ding Jiaxi were sentenced to 14 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for "subverting state power."
Luo told CNA that Ding's first arrest was a huge blow to her mother. Her mother, who lived through the Cultural Revolution and saw her own husband persecuted, had raised her children almost single-handedly. Hearing about her son-in-law's arrest, her mother's reaction was, "Oh my God, history is repeating itself."
At the time of her husband's arrest, Luo had been offered a position in the US by a foreign company. Being abroad allowed her to safely browse information, and she read the news daily, eventually discovering the philosophy of the "New Citizens Movement" her husband promoted by looking through his past communication records.
● Amid Depression and Pain, the "709 Wives" Taught Her Strength
For the first six months in the US, Luo said she was deeply depressed, surviving only on audio and video recordings of Ding brought by his lawyer. During that time, she often felt like giving up on life. Her children were also going through rebellious teenage phases. "They had trauma, and I was very strict with them, which made it very exhausting for all of us."
After Ding was released in October 2016, Luo spent a year coordinating with US human rights officials to get him a visa. In October 2017, he finally reunited with his family in the US.
After four years apart, Ding stayed only for two months before saying he wanted to return to China. A heartbroken Luo asked, "Do you even love us?" But her husband, who had already endured prison, said he wanted to fight for the right to enter and leave freely and that he would return. "He thought he could break free from the state machine."
When Ding was arrested for the second time in 2019, Luo felt depression and pain again, but things were slowly changing. The "709 Crackdown" of 2015, which saw the mass arrest of human rights lawyers, had made Luo stronger. The resistance shown by the "709 Wives" taught her how to turn pain into a struggle against authority.
She said, "Every day I was thinking about how to write on Twitter (now X) and Facebook. You simply don't have time to feel sad, depressed, or mournful. You turn all that pain into resistance. Through the process of resisting, you also become better at interacting with others."
Some 709 wives contacted her online and taught her how to fight from the US. She calls herself a "disciple of the 709 lawyer wives." "They were the ones who taught me."
● Not Just Fighting for Her Husband: Finding Her Own Role in Civic Action
Luo said she is part of the generation bred by the Cultural Revolution, with a very strong rebellious streak. Having experienced the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement in person and protested in Dalian, she has a natural resonance with democratic movements.
Resistance gradually healed Luo. In addition to calling for the release of Ding and Xu, she decided to continue their unfinished work abroad by establishing an organization for educational research and rights protection.
But she is not just a "substitute" for her husband; she has discovered her own unique abilities and characteristics. As a Christian, she says she has no desire for money, material goods, or fame. Her work in the civil rights movement contains no element of heroism. Attacks and gossip within the democracy movement circles do not affect her.
"I am simply managing the funds God gave me for God's work," she said. Whether these tasks are within her capability, she leaves that for God to arrange. (Editor: Chou Hui-ying) 1150429
The "Citizens' Rights Alliance," established by Luo in the United States, focuses on civic education and the protection of civil rights. This is not only a continuation of her husband's unfinished work but also a concrete practice of her long-held democratic ideals since her youth.
In December last year, the official website of the "Citizens' Rights Alliance" released the "Real-Name Report on Chinese Citizens' Exit Ban Cases." Luo told Central News Agency that the authorities arbitrarily use border control (disallowing citizens to freely leave and enter China) to persecute human rights defenders, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minorities. "China is a big prison," she said. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" clearly states that citizens have the right to enter and leave their country, but the CCP completely ignores international conventions and even its own laws.
Furthermore, the "Citizens' Rights Alliance" is committed to promoting civic education, inviting overseas Chinese students to compile teaching materials and teaching immigrants courses on the "Citizens' Behavior Guide." The overall direction is to "change yourself, change others."
● Ding Jiaxi Imprisoned: Mother-in-law Witnessed Cultural Revolution and Gasped at History Repeating
Ding Jiaxi's name is often linked with Xu Ziyong, a famous Chinese legal scholar and activist. Luo said the two share very consistent philosophies, believing that the concept of "citizen" is written in China's constitution and laws, and "one just needs to take it seriously." Thus, they taught people how to defend their own rights, such as demanding equal rights to education. Ding acted like an "operations manager" for Xu, helping to realize many of his political ambitions.
In 2013, the two were first imprisoned on trumped-up charges, and were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. However, they continued their work together, causing fear among the authorities. In December 2019, they met with others in Xiamen to discuss current events and China's future; subsequently, many participants were detained. In April 2023, Xu Ziyong and Ding Jiaxi were sentenced to 14 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for "subverting state power."
Luo told CNA that Ding's first arrest was a huge blow to her mother. Her mother, who lived through the Cultural Revolution and saw her own husband persecuted, had raised her children almost single-handedly. Hearing about her son-in-law's arrest, her mother's reaction was, "Oh my God, history is repeating itself."
At the time of her husband's arrest, Luo had been offered a position in the US by a foreign company. Being abroad allowed her to safely browse information, and she read the news daily, eventually discovering the philosophy of the "New Citizens Movement" her husband promoted by looking through his past communication records.
● Amid Depression and Pain, the "709 Wives" Taught Her Strength
For the first six months in the US, Luo said she was deeply depressed, surviving only on audio and video recordings of Ding brought by his lawyer. During that time, she often felt like giving up on life. Her children were also going through rebellious teenage phases. "They had trauma, and I was very strict with them, which made it very exhausting for all of us."
After Ding was released in October 2016, Luo spent a year coordinating with US human rights officials to get him a visa. In October 2017, he finally reunited with his family in the US.
After four years apart, Ding stayed only for two months before saying he wanted to return to China. A heartbroken Luo asked, "Do you even love us?" But her husband, who had already endured prison, said he wanted to fight for the right to enter and leave freely and that he would return. "He thought he could break free from the state machine."
When Ding was arrested for the second time in 2019, Luo felt depression and pain again, but things were slowly changing. The "709 Crackdown" of 2015, which saw the mass arrest of human rights lawyers, had made Luo stronger. The resistance shown by the "709 Wives" taught her how to turn pain into a struggle against authority.
She said, "Every day I was thinking about how to write on Twitter (now X) and Facebook. You simply don't have time to feel sad, depressed, or mournful. You turn all that pain into resistance. Through the process of resisting, you also become better at interacting with others."
Some 709 wives contacted her online and taught her how to fight from the US. She calls herself a "disciple of the 709 lawyer wives." "They were the ones who taught me."
● Not Just Fighting for Her Husband: Finding Her Own Role in Civic Action
Luo said she is part of the generation bred by the Cultural Revolution, with a very strong rebellious streak. Having experienced the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement in person and protested in Dalian, she has a natural resonance with democratic movements.
Resistance gradually healed Luo. In addition to calling for the release of Ding and Xu, she decided to continue their unfinished work abroad by establishing an organization for educational research and rights protection.
But she is not just a "substitute" for her husband; she has discovered her own unique abilities and characteristics. As a Christian, she says she has no desire for money, material goods, or fame. Her work in the civil rights movement contains no element of heroism. Attacks and gossip within the democracy movement circles do not affect her.
"I am simply managing the funds God gave me for God's work," she said. Whether these tasks are within her capability, she leaves that for God to arrange. (Editor: Chou Hui-ying) 1150429