GENEVA – United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said on Monday that he was “very concerned” after China sentenced two prominent human rights lawyers to more than a decade in jail.

Xu Zhiyong and fellow campaigner Ding Jiaxi were convicted of “subversion of state power” following closed-door trials and were sentenced on April 10.

Both were leading figures in the New Citizens’ Movement, a civil rights group that called for constitutional reform and criticised government corruption.

“I am very concerned that two prominent human rights defenders in China – Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong – have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, at variance with international human rights law standards,” Mr Turk said in a statement.

“Human rights law requires that people not be prosecuted or otherwise punished for voicing their criticism of government policies,” he added.

“It also requires respect for fair trial and due process rights, and proper investigations into any allegations of ill-treatment.”

Xu, who called for President Xi Jinping to step down over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, was jailed for 14 years following a closed-door trial in east China’s Shandong province, Human Rights Watch said.

Ding was “jailed for 12 years and deprived of political rights for three years”, his wife, Madam Luo Shengchun told AFP, referring to a punishment in China that bars the convicted from holding public office.

Observers have regularly raised concerns about due process in China, where the courts have a conviction rate of about 99 per cent.

“I will follow up on these cases with the authorities,” said Mr Turk.

“It is important that steps are taken to ensure that other human rights defenders are not targeted for exercising their human rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.” AFP