A Family Torn Apart by Political Persecution

My name is Lyu Zhanqiu, from Shangqiu, Henan Province, China.
I am a software developer who later studied law and became involved in human rights work.

Today, I live in Germany as a recognized refugee.
For the first time in my life, I can breathe freely.
For the first time, I am not afraid of a knock at the door.

I am deeply grateful to Germany for giving me protection and safety.

But I cannot celebrate.
Because my 25-year-old son is still in China — alone, persecuted, devastated, and on the edge of collapse.
This is not just a family tragedy — it is the deliberate, calculated destruction of an innocent family by a political system.

I Followed the Law. I Reported Corruption Through Every Legal Channel. And the System Crushed My Family.

For years, I exposed corruption among local officials in Shangqiu.
I followed every legal procedure: from township → county → city → province → the central government.

I brought complete evidence.
I trusted the law.
I trusted my country.

But every petition was ignored. Every door was closed. Every official refused to investigate.

Instead, the system turned its power against me.

Because I revealed corruption, I was:

 · Arbitrarily detained
 · Interrogated for hours at deep night
 · Threatened
 · Kept in custody
 · Subjected to violence
 · Forced to flee China

This was not an accident. It was systemic retaliation.

My Son's Life Is Now in Danger

My son has committed no crime.
He is a gentle, law-abiding, educated young man.

But because he is my son, the authorities punish him.

He is:

 · Placed under an exit ban
 · Blocked from employment
 · Closely monitored
 · Pressured by community officials
 · Isolated socially
 · Denied every chance to build a normal life

The psychological impact has been devastating.

He is breaking down, sinking into despair, living each day under unbearable fear, with no one to protect him.

And I, his father, can only watch from another country — powerless to hold him, powerless to protect him.

A state should not be able to do this to a child.
No government should ever use a son as a weapon to break his father.

Cross-Border Intimidation — Even After I Escaped

After I fled China, the persecution did not stop.
It followed me across borders.

While I was in Medan, Indonesia, I felt a real and imminent danger.
I decisively changed my flight and left ten days earlier, flying to Thailand.

Only six hours after I arrived in Thailand, my nearly 80-year-old father in China was violently assaulted, breaking his arm, while my son's arm was bitten during the same attack.

This was not a coincidence.
This was intimidation.
This was punishment.

These were the actions of officials who still remain untouched and unaccountable.

The Officials Responsible for the Persecution

The persecution was led by officials in Shangqiu, Henan Province, including:

 · Party Secretary at the time: Li Guosheng
 · Current Party Secretary: Li Xiangyu
 · Mayor at the time: Bai Xiangyang
 · Public Security Director: Huang Jiheng

Direct perpetrators include:

 · Police Station Chief: Yang Jingtao
 · Interrogation Unit Captain: Chen Xiaodong

They participated in:

 · Nighttime abductions
 · Torture-like interrogation
 · Intimidation of my family
 · Illegal surveillance
 · Destruction of evidence

And they still walk free.
The corrupt officials responsible remain unpunished.

Germany Gave Me Safety. But My Family Is Still in Danger.

I am deeply grateful to Germany.
Germany gave me protection when my own country turned against me.
Germany restored my dignity when everything else was taken away.

But my son has no protection.
He is still in China, still under threat, still sinking into despair.

While I live under asylum in Germany, he is completely alone in China, without protection or support.

This Is Not Just My Family's Tragedy — It Is an Urgent Human Rights Emergency

China is using collective punishment against relatives of dissidents: exit bans, surveillance, employment sabotage, social isolation.

This violates:

 · The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 · The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
 · The Convention Against Torture
 · Core principles of human dignity

This is a human rights crisis.
And a young man — my son — may lose his life if the world remains silent.

Those who risk their lives to expose injustice must not be left to freeze in the snow; those who pave the way for freedom must not be left trapped in thorns.

My Urgent Appeal to the German Government, the EU, the UN, and All Human Rights Organizations

I respectfully ask:

1. Immediate international attention on my son's situation.

He is in real danger, both psychologically and physically.
He is under constant monitoring, isolated, and has no means of survival.
If urgent action is not taken, he faces an irreversible tragedy.

2. Urgent diplomatic intervention.

China must be pressed to stop harassment, surveillance, and retaliation.
This includes threats, community pressure, and attacks on my family.

3. Lifting my son's exit ban.

He must be allowed to leave China and reunite with me in safety.

Germany has a moral and historical responsibility to defend human rights.
Today, my son's life depends on that leadership — and the world is watching.

Conclusion: This Is a Rescue Call

My father was attacked.
My son is collapsing.
I was forced into exile.
Our family is shattered.

This is a life-or-death emergency.
This is not a political statement — it is a desperate plea to save a life.

I am asking — as a father — for help.
Not for myself.
But to save my child, whose life is slipping away under unbearable pressure.

Please, save my son.
Do not let his life be extinguished under political persecution.