cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/46318519

The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and the Canada Tibet Committee call on Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Yadi, a 22-year-old Tibetan culture and rights activist and Chinese international student.

Zhang vanished this summer after returning to China for holidays. She had been studying in France and was due to begin postgraduate studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in September.

On July 31, she was arrested in Shangri-La (Gyalthang), Yunnan province, and charged under Article 103 (2) of China’s Criminal Law with “endangering national security” for allegedly inciting separatism and undermining national unity. She faces five to fifteen years in prison if found guilty. She is currently detained in her hometown, Changsha, Hunan province.

[…]

While living in France, Zhang actively promoted Tibetan rights. She volunteered for Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet, a youth-led initiative that promotes Tibetan culture and fosters dialogue among Chinese-speaking communities. In this June 2025 Chinese-language interview, she explained the origins and aims of the initiative.

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Zhang has been held incommunicado since her arrest and denied legal representation. Authorities must disclose her whereabouts, guarantee access to a lawyer of her choosing as well as to her family, and ensure that she is protected from ill-treatment.

Zhang’s case is emblematic of a broader pattern: the Chinese state is increasingly penalizing peaceful expression and cross-cultural engagement through expanding national-security provisions.

Her case also reflects the growing threat of transnational repression, which includes the intimidation of students and activists whose advocacy abroad is later punished in China. This strategy aims to repress Tibetan cultural and religious identity globally.

[…]