Overview

• Zhang Yadi, 22, disappeared on 31 July in Shangri-La after returning from studies in France and is believed to be held in a Changsha detention center.
• She is accused under Article 103(2) of China’s Criminal Law for inciting separatism, a charge that can bring up to five years in prison or up to 15 if deemed a ringleader.
• While abroad, Zhang edited the Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet platform promoting Tibetan rights and interethnic dialogue, and her scholarship to begin graduate studies at SOAS this month has been disrupted.
• Her family-appointed lawyer has had restricted access, and prominent rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong was briefly detained on 16 September when he tried to assist, with his phone reportedly confiscated.
• Human Rights Watch has called for her immediate and unconditional release and urged France and the UK to raise her case with Chinese authorities, as activists note the charge is increasingly applied to Han Chinese who advocate for minority rights.