Freedom House

09/23/2026

“If you do not value his love for the country, let him come home to love his family.”

Sophie Luo’s husband, human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, returned to China because he wanted to help improve his country. Chinese authorities instead imprisoned him for advocating freedom, social justice, and citizens’ constitutional rights.

As Xi Jinping visits Washington, Sophie is calling on the Chinese government to release her husband and is urging the United States to help bring political prisoners home.

Watch the full Freedom House event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifh1cErqWgA

09/23/2026

Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment sends a message far beyond his prison cell: “Keep silent or you’ll be next.”

As Xi Jinping visits Washington this week, human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC explains why Jimmy’s case matters not only for his freedom, but for every journalist seeking to report freely in Hong Kong.

09/22/2026

As Xi Jinping visits Washington this week, Freedom House Ambassador Anna Kwok knows firsthand how far the Chinese Communist Party will go to silence those who speak out.

Anna went from joining Hong Kong’s 2019 protests anonymously to advocating for freedom in Washington. In 2023, Hong Kong authorities placed a HK$1 million bounty on her and issued a warrant for her arrest.

But efforts to silence voices like Anna’s extend far beyond any one activist. As she explains, standing together is essential to pushing back against repression:

“Every single droplet can form a wide and vast ocean that allows us to fight back more effectively.”

Hear Anna’s story and why she continues to speak out.

09/22/2026

“When I was in prison, I never thought that I would be released.”

After nearly nine months in detention, Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri is free because people around the world spoke up.

Ahead of Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, Pastor Jin shared a message of hope at Freedom House, calling for sustained advocacy so that more political prisoners can experience the same freedom. His daughter, Grace Drexel, translated his remarks.

Watch the full event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifh1cErqWgA

09/21/2026

As Xi Jinping prepares to visit Washington, Gao Pu has a message for the Chinese government: “My parents are not your enemies.”

His father, Pastor Gao Quanfu, founded and led the Light of Zion Church, while his mother, Pang Yu, supported its work for decades. Chinese authorities detained them in 2025 amid the government’s escalating crackdown on independent Christian communities.

President Trump should use Xi’s visit to press for their immediate release and the release of all those imprisoned by the Chinese government for exercising their fundamental freedoms.

Watch the full Freedom House event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifh1cErqWgA

09/18/2026

“Transnational repression is as big a national security issue as it is a human rights issue.”

Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington puts a spotlight on a threat Freedom House Ambassador Anna Kwok knows firsthand: Beijing’s efforts to silence dissent far beyond China’s borders.

Hear why she believes standing with those targeted matters, and learn more about Freedom House’s work on transnational repression: https://freedomhouse.org/report/transnational-repression

09/18/2026

As the CCP takes unprecedented steps to target its critics abroad, Xi Jinping’s forthcoming visit to Washington offers an opportunity for the United States to stand up for Chinese dissidents and rights defenders, at home and around the world.

Read the latest policy brief from Freedom House: https://freedomhouse.org/article/xi-jinping-washington-dc-countering-beijings-efforts-undermine-free-speech-beyond-its

09/17/2026

Freedom House has adopted the case of imprisoned Tibetan monk, scholar, and author Go Sherab Gyatso through our Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners.

A prominent scholar who has written extensively on Tibetan Buddhism, language, and culture, Go Sherab Gyatso was arrested in October 2020 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison for “inciting secession.” He had previously been detained multiple times, including for possessing a portrait of the Dalai Lama.

His imprisonment is part of a broader pattern of repression targeting Tibetan intellectuals and writers. Freedom House calls for his immediate release.

Learn more about his case and our work to free political prisoners around the world: https://freedomhouse.org/report/free-them-all?name=go-sherab-gyatso

09/17/2026

Read the latest Spotlight 🔆 on Freedom:

📊 China Dissent Monitor: Defiance Persists Despite CCP Repression
🌐 Policy Brief: Countering Beijing’s Transnational Repression
👪 Event Spotlight: The Human Cost of the CCP’s Repression
🔒 New Political Prisoner Case Adopted: Tibetan Scholar Go Sherab Gyatso

More: https://bit.ly/4cREY21
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09/17/2026

CCP propaganda and censorship has recently aimed to obscure expression of discontent, including “lying flat” and public protest. But it has not changed a spirit of defiance exhibited by many of China’s citizens. Freedom House’s China Dissent Monitor’s recent analysis has shown citizens sometimes even mobilize more quickly in response to government efforts to silence them.

Read Kevin Slaten on why the CCP’s propaganda and censorship efforts are falling short:

People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest.