GENEVA (5 February 2026) – UN human rights experts* today urged China to immediately grant full access to adequate medical treatment for woman human rights defender, Yang Li, from Jintan, Jiangsu Province, saying that her attempts to travel to Beijing for medical appointments have been intercepted on numerous occasions and allegedly resulted in her arbitrary detention.
“The arrest and indictment of Yang Li appear to represent an effort by the authorities to prevent her from peacefully exercising her rights to seek redress for legitimate grievances. This harassment is compounded by the fact that it was coupled with preventing her from accessing medical treatment,” the experts said.
Yang Li has been advocating against land requisition and crop clearance being carried out by the authorities in Jiangsu Province since 2009. Her efforts to seek redress for her family and members of her community through filing petitions have led to her being administratively detained multiple times since 2014.
Since 2023, Yang Li has consistently attempted to travel to Beijing to file petitions and receive medical treatment. During these attempts, she has been subjected to physical assaults, administrative detention and been prevented from accessing necessary medical treatment – reportedly by officials from the Jintan and Beijing police. In October 2024, Yang Li was placed in criminal detention for the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which was later changed to “disrupting the work order of state organs.” Yang Li was convicted in September 2025 and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in a judicial process that indicated several fair trial inconsistencies.
“Yang Li is in urgent need of adequate medical treatment, capable of responding to the late-stage kidney disease she is suffering from,” the experts said. “Her condition appears to have worsened significantly as a result of the repeated denial of medical care, her treatment whilst in prison and the stress she has been subjected to through numerous detentions that appear to have been carried out without legal basis or justification.”
Whilst in prison, Yang Li was denied access to adequate medical care for her kidney disease. To protest this treatment, Yang Li went on hunger strike. She was subsequently subjected to forced nasal feeding, which is tantamount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international human rights law. Yang Li was also reportedly denied medically prescribed meals as punishment for her protest.
Yang Li was inexplicably released from prison six days late. Since then, she has continued to be blocked by the authorities whilst attempting to travel to Beijing for medical treatment, allegedly being arbitrarily detained for hours. In a recent incident, Yang Li was physically assaulted whilst in detention, leading to five of her fingernails to be torn off and leaving her semi-conscious.
“We urge the authorities to cease the harassment and intimidation of Yang Li and her family and allow her full, immediate access to medical treatment of her choosing, to ensure her health does not further deteriorate and to prevent long-lasting impacts,” the experts said.
The experts have been in contact with the Government of China on these issues.
ENDS
*The experts:
- Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
