Dear High Representative Kaja Kallas,

My name is Lyu Zhanqiu, a software engineer from China who used my spare time to study law independently. I am writing to urgently appeal for your intervention regarding the severe and ongoing political persecution I have suffered under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime — and, more urgently, the inhumane treatment of my family who remain in China.

On February 17, 2023, I was arbitrarily arrested, interrogated, body-searched, detained, and subjected to persecution after I publicly questioned the legality of police actions. Under China's authoritarian system, the police, prosecutors, and courts operate as a single, coordinated apparatus, leaving no possibility of fair trial or independent legal recourse.

After my release, I was placed under tight surveillance, and any attempt to seek justice or file complaints would have led to immediate re-arrest, further persecution, or torture. I was stripped of all access to justice. In desperation, I fled the country on July 16, 2023, seeking safety and freedom.

However, my family has become the next target of this system of repression:

My father, now nearly 80 years old and nearly blind, is left without adequate support or care.
My son, a college graduate and law-abiding citizen, has been subjected to collective punishment for my activism: he lost his job, was banned from leaving China, and is subjected to constant social and political pressure. These measures have caused severe psychological distress and a deterioration in his mental health.

These actions constitute clear violations of China's obligations under international human rights law, including:

Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 12(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which affirm the right to leave any country, including one's own;
Article 9 of the ICCPR, which prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention;
Prohibition of collective punishment, a fundamental principle of international law.

Despite being a member of the United Nations and a signatory to key international human rights treaties, the People's Republic of China persistently and systematically violates these obligations. The targeting of my family for my peaceful activism is not an isolated case, but part of a broader and worsening pattern of authoritarian repression.

I respectfully urge you, as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to take the following actions:

1. Raise an urgent humanitarian concern with the CCP,
2. Demand an immediate end to the persecution of my family,
3. Call for the lifting of the exit ban on my son, and allow him to seek safety abroad.

The European Union has long stood for freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human dignity. In this spirit, I plead with you: do not allow these values to be eroded by silence in the face of tyranny. The CCP's repeated and blatant violations of human rights demand a firm, principled response. Remaining silent risks being perceived as tacit endorsement of authoritarianism.

This is a life-and-death situation. If no action is taken, my son may not survive the psychological burden imposed by this unjust system.

I ask you to use your voice, your office, and your influence to stand with victims of repression and hold the CCP accountable.

Sincerely,
Lyu Zhanqiu
Exiled Human Rights Defender from China
Date: June 23, 2025
https://doourbest.org