Sophie Richardson
@sophiedrich.bsky.social
Co-ED, Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) @chrdnet.bsky.social. Visiting Scholar at Stanford CDDRL 2024, HRW China director 2006-2023. Still think music makes everything better (see https://youtu.be/k9avKq94DGY?si=I7xvXwRcgovRnF1v).
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
@sophiedrich.bsky.social: Xi’s crimes against humanity and other state-sponsored measures of terror designed to erase dissent deepen and spread daily, yet efforts to halt – let alone reverse – such violations have faltered badly. thediplomat.com/2025/11/chin... @chrdnet.bsky.social
China’s ‘White Paper’ Protests: 3 Years Later
More than 100 people were arrested over the White Paper protests. Three years later, the status of many of those people remains unknown.
thediplomat.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
@sophiedrich.bsky.social: Xi’s crimes against humanity and other state-sponsored measures of terror designed to erase dissent deepen and spread daily, yet efforts to halt – let alone reverse – such violations have faltered badly. thediplomat.com/2025/11/chin... @chrdnet.bsky.social
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
Activist #Yinxuan disappeared for 3 months. 🇨🇳 govt intercepted him in #Beijing on Aug. 11 while seeking medical care, then forcibly returned him to Hubei. Multiple authorities won't tell family/lawyer his location. Lawyers filed petition demanding answers.
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/11/3_12...
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/11/3_12...
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Activist #Yinxuan disappeared for 3 months. 🇨🇳 govt intercepted him in #Beijing on Aug. 11 while seeking medical care, then forcibly returned him to Hubei. Multiple authorities won't tell family/lawyer his location. Lawyers filed petition demanding answers.
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/11/3_12...
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/11/3_12...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
The lesson of China’s broadening interference in the education systems of democratic countries is that if we want academic freedom, we will have to pay for it.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
China Is Exposing the Fault Lines in British Universities
Principles are fine, if you can afford them. Britain is starting to appreciate the vulnerabilities of its higher-education funding model after learning how one of its universities halted a research pr...
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
The lesson of China’s broadening interference in the education systems of democratic countries is that if we want academic freedom, we will have to pay for it.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
For decades, Tibetans built a capital in exile in Dharamshala, India, and sent their kids to a school founded by the Dalai Lama. That's now changing.
The Dalai Lama created a Tibetan capital in exile in India. It's shrinking
For decades, Tibetans built a capital in exile in Dharamshala, India, and sent their kids to a school founded by the Dalai Lama. That's now changing.
n.pr
November 10, 2025 at 12:52 AM
For decades, Tibetans built a capital in exile in Dharamshala, India, and sent their kids to a school founded by the Dalai Lama. That's now changing.
Think #China #XiJinping’s claims to being a leader on #womensrights ring true? Read @chrdnet.bsky.social co-ED @reneexia.bsky.social’s reflections and see who you find more credible. www.nchrd.org/2025/10/the-...
Bluesky
mychrdnet.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Think #China #XiJinping’s claims to being a leader on #womensrights ring true? Read @chrdnet.bsky.social co-ED @reneexia.bsky.social’s reflections and see who you find more credible. www.nchrd.org/2025/10/the-...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
A hidden reason why there's no #ClimateAction at scale: Less than 3% of int'l aid to slash carbon emissions is supporting a “just transition” for workers & communities away from GHG polluting industries.
Many forced to choose btw a secure job & a safe planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Many forced to choose btw a secure job & a safe planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Only 3% of international climate aid going to transitioning communities: ‘This is absurd’
New report on funding to slash carbon emissions finds startlingly low engagement with the people affected
www.theguardian.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A hidden reason why there's no #ClimateAction at scale: Less than 3% of int'l aid to slash carbon emissions is supporting a “just transition” for workers & communities away from GHG polluting industries.
Many forced to choose btw a secure job & a safe planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Many forced to choose btw a secure job & a safe planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
#China govt targets journalists for speaking truth to power. To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, #Beijing must free #HuangXueqin, #LiYuanfeng, #ZhangZhan, #ChenJieren & all detained press freedom defenders.
👉 www.un.org/en/observanc...
👉 www.un.org/en/observanc...
今天是 #终止针对记者犯罪不受惩罚现象国际日
根据无国界记者（RSF）发布的2025年全球新闻自由指数，中国排名倒数第三，是全世界最大的记者监狱。
rsf.org/zh-hans/clas...
关注狱中的记者 #黄雪琴、#张展、#何桂蓝、#杨泽伟、#李维忠、#上官云开、#吕华、#牙里坤·肉孜、#陈杰人……
根据无国界记者（RSF）发布的2025年全球新闻自由指数，中国排名倒数第三，是全世界最大的记者监狱。
rsf.org/zh-hans/clas...
关注狱中的记者 #黄雪琴、#张展、#何桂蓝、#杨泽伟、#李维忠、#上官云开、#吕华、#牙里坤·肉孜、#陈杰人……
November 3, 2025 at 4:55 AM
#China govt targets journalists for speaking truth to power. To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, #Beijing must free #HuangXueqin, #LiYuanfeng, #ZhangZhan, #ChenJieren & all detained press freedom defenders.
👉 www.un.org/en/observanc...
👉 www.un.org/en/observanc...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
China was seeking to halt research by Laura Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam, into allegations Uyghur Muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang were subject to forced labour. www.bbc.com/news/article...
China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show
Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.
www.bbc.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:12 AM
China was seeking to halt research by Laura Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam, into allegations Uyghur Muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang were subject to forced labour. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
Enough crocodile tears. Each year at the UN General Assembly, States ask me the same questions. My answer hasn’t changed: protect human rights defenders, enact & enforce policies, prosecute attackers. Determination is what’s lacking. States must start showing it. #UNGA80
October 31, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Enough crocodile tears. Each year at the UN General Assembly, States ask me the same questions. My answer hasn’t changed: protect human rights defenders, enact & enforce policies, prosecute attackers. Determination is what’s lacking. States must start showing it. #UNGA80
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
The IBAHRI and partners express grave concern for Chinese #HumanRights #lawyer Lu Siwei, who is facing an arbitrary travel ban preventing him from being reunited with his family in the #US and receiving urgent medical care for lung cancer.
Read statement: tinyurl.com/mspebkav
Read statement: tinyurl.com/mspebkav
October 21, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The IBAHRI and partners express grave concern for Chinese #HumanRights #lawyer Lu Siwei, who is facing an arbitrary travel ban preventing him from being reunited with his family in the #US and receiving urgent medical care for lung cancer.
Read statement: tinyurl.com/mspebkav
Read statement: tinyurl.com/mspebkav
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
Police broke into Christian #SunXue 's home after 1am on Oct 13, handcuffed & took him without a warrant. When his mother asked for a detention notice, police shouted & threatened her—showing #China govt's disregard for due process.
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/10/9.html
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/10/9.html
锡安教会孙学传道妻子石林姊妹发出公开信，讲述警察狡诈野蛮抓捕过程
维权网敬启：相关媒体在采纳和引用本网报道时请务必注明出处！此为本网官方博客，维权网推特:@weiquanwang，维权网邮箱：[email protected] 谢谢支持！
wqw2010.blogspot.com
October 22, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Police broke into Christian #SunXue 's home after 1am on Oct 13, handcuffed & took him without a warrant. When his mother asked for a detention notice, police shouted & threatened her—showing #China govt's disregard for due process.
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/10/9.html
👉 wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/10/9.html
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
This week's @minjianarchives.bsky.social newsletter is by one of China's foremost public intellectuals, Ai Xiaoming, on an investigation she wrote on the myth that China's natural scientists were insulated from Mao-era political campaigns. EN/ZH.
chinaunofficialarchives.substack.com/p/19571967
chinaunofficialarchives.substack.com/p/19571967
1957—1967：一位青年物理学者的生死劫—从中科院反右开始的追寻
1957–1967: A Young Physicist’s Trial by Fire
chinaunofficialarchives.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:13 AM
This week's @minjianarchives.bsky.social newsletter is by one of China's foremost public intellectuals, Ai Xiaoming, on an investigation she wrote on the myth that China's natural scientists were insulated from Mao-era political campaigns. EN/ZH.
chinaunofficialarchives.substack.com/p/19571967
chinaunofficialarchives.substack.com/p/19571967
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
Translations: “How Can a Country That Blocks the Nobel Website Hope to Win a Nobel Prize?”
"To sum up: if the winner was backed by the Chinese government, it’s the correct decision; if not, it’s using the Nobel Prize to fan anti-China sentiment."
"To sum up: if the winner was backed by the Chinese government, it’s the correct decision; if not, it’s using the Nobel Prize to fan anti-China sentiment."
Translations: “How Can a Country That Blocks the Nobel Website Hope to Win a Nobel Prize?”
The news that two more Japanese scientists were awarded Nobel Prizes in the natural sciences has been met with considerable consternation on the Chinese internet. Shimon Sakaguchi of Osaka University ...
chinadigitaltimes.net
October 21, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Translations: “How Can a Country That Blocks the Nobel Website Hope to Win a Nobel Prize?”
"To sum up: if the winner was backed by the Chinese government, it’s the correct decision; if not, it’s using the Nobel Prize to fan anti-China sentiment."
"To sum up: if the winner was backed by the Chinese government, it’s the correct decision; if not, it’s using the Nobel Prize to fan anti-China sentiment."
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
#China: Today, on the 10-year anniversary of the kidnapping of poet, bookseller and PEN member, Gui Minhai, 65 PEN Centres around the world renew our demand for his immediate and unconditional release.
Read our joint statement ⬇️
www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...
#FreeGuiMinhai
Read our joint statement ⬇️
www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...
#FreeGuiMinhai
PEN International
#China: Today, on the 10-year anniversary of the kidnapping of poet, bookseller and PEN member, Gui Minhai, 65 PEN Centres around the world renew our demand for his immediate and unconditional...
www.facebook.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM
#China: Today, on the 10-year anniversary of the kidnapping of poet, bookseller and PEN member, Gui Minhai, 65 PEN Centres around the world renew our demand for his immediate and unconditional release.
Read our joint statement ⬇️
www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...
#FreeGuiMinhai
Read our joint statement ⬇️
www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...
#FreeGuiMinhai
If #Sweden 🇸🇪 FM @mariastenergard.bsky.social
plans to bring #GuiMinhai home from this landmark visit to #China--super. If not, this is a profoundly perverse way of marking the tenth anniversary of his disappearance. @swedishpm.bsky.social @chrdnet.bsky.social
www.regeringen.se/pressmeddela...
plans to bring #GuiMinhai home from this landmark visit to #China--super. If not, this is a profoundly perverse way of marking the tenth anniversary of his disappearance. @swedishpm.bsky.social @chrdnet.bsky.social
www.regeringen.se/pressmeddela...
Utrikesminister Maria Malmer Stenergard reser till Kina
Utrikesminister Maria Malmer Stenergard besöker Kina den 16–17 oktober. Under besöket kommer utrikesministern att delta i möten med representanter...
www.regeringen.se
October 15, 2025 at 12:56 PM
If #Sweden 🇸🇪 FM @mariastenergard.bsky.social
plans to bring #GuiMinhai home from this landmark visit to #China--super. If not, this is a profoundly perverse way of marking the tenth anniversary of his disappearance. @swedishpm.bsky.social @chrdnet.bsky.social
www.regeringen.se/pressmeddela...
plans to bring #GuiMinhai home from this landmark visit to #China--super. If not, this is a profoundly perverse way of marking the tenth anniversary of his disappearance. @swedishpm.bsky.social @chrdnet.bsky.social
www.regeringen.se/pressmeddela...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
New events!
📆17th & 24th Oct
🕥10:30am Thailand Time
ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections hold 2 webinars on political rights and movements in ASEAN "Election Updates and Regional Democratic Trends.
Live on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/@AsianNetwor...
📆17th & 24th Oct
🕥10:30am Thailand Time
ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections hold 2 webinars on political rights and movements in ASEAN "Election Updates and Regional Democratic Trends.
Live on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/@AsianNetwor...
October 14, 2025 at 8:39 PM
New events!
📆17th & 24th Oct
🕥10:30am Thailand Time
ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections hold 2 webinars on political rights and movements in ASEAN "Election Updates and Regional Democratic Trends.
Live on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/@AsianNetwor...
📆17th & 24th Oct
🕥10:30am Thailand Time
ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections hold 2 webinars on political rights and movements in ASEAN "Election Updates and Regional Democratic Trends.
Live on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/@AsianNetwor...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
🚨 CHRD warns #China govt's proposed revisions to the Prison Law falls short of intl standards. Key concerns:
❌ No independent oversight mechanism
❌ Limited family/lawyer access
❌ Expanded solitary confinement
❌ Unchecked prison labor
❌ Vague national security provisions
www.nchrd.org/2025/10/revi...
❌ No independent oversight mechanism
❌ Limited family/lawyer access
❌ Expanded solitary confinement
❌ Unchecked prison labor
❌ Vague national security provisions
www.nchrd.org/2025/10/revi...
October 10, 2025 at 9:49 AM
🚨 CHRD warns #China govt's proposed revisions to the Prison Law falls short of intl standards. Key concerns:
❌ No independent oversight mechanism
❌ Limited family/lawyer access
❌ Expanded solitary confinement
❌ Unchecked prison labor
❌ Vague national security provisions
www.nchrd.org/2025/10/revi...
❌ No independent oversight mechanism
❌ Limited family/lawyer access
❌ Expanded solitary confinement
❌ Unchecked prison labor
❌ Vague national security provisions
www.nchrd.org/2025/10/revi...
Sympathy for foreign firms having trouble with #China govt? Few external actors have done more to undermine progress on #humanrights there--all the while claiming they were part of the solution, turning profits, and disdaining human rights #duediligence.
wsjchina.cmail19.com/t/d-e-gehljy...
wsjchina.cmail19.com/t/d-e-gehljy...
WSJ China: A Playbook for Negotiations With Beijing
wsjchina.cmail19.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Sympathy for foreign firms having trouble with #China govt? Few external actors have done more to undermine progress on #humanrights there--all the while claiming they were part of the solution, turning profits, and disdaining human rights #duediligence.
wsjchina.cmail19.com/t/d-e-gehljy...
wsjchina.cmail19.com/t/d-e-gehljy...
Reposted by Sophie Richardson
人权律师 #卢思位 近日接受法广采访表示，8月刑满出狱后，检查发现肺结节问题恶化，医生说已属肺癌的初步。
www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD...
因医保被断，卢思位选择观察半年后再决定；他多次向政保要求自由出入境，惟当局不肯放行；
#妻子张春晓 呼吁当局让卢思位保外就医，在家人陪同和照顾下接受治疗。
www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD...
因医保被断，卢思位选择观察半年后再决定；他多次向政保要求自由出入境，惟当局不肯放行；
#妻子张春晓 呼吁当局让卢思位保外就医，在家人陪同和照顾下接受治疗。
October 7, 2025 at 10:22 PM
人权律师 #卢思位 近日接受法广采访表示，8月刑满出狱后，检查发现肺结节问题恶化，医生说已属肺癌的初步。
www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD...
因医保被断，卢思位选择观察半年后再决定；他多次向政保要求自由出入境，惟当局不肯放行；
#妻子张春晓 呼吁当局让卢思位保外就医，在家人陪同和照顾下接受治疗。
www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD...
因医保被断，卢思位选择观察半年后再决定；他多次向政保要求自由出入境，惟当局不肯放行；
#妻子张春晓 呼吁当局让卢思位保外就医，在家人陪同和照顾下接受治疗。
I started to read this piece on #Tibet #YarlungTsangpo Dam expecting to learn more about #China govt approach to hydro, but there is a great deal more here on #politics #power #security, too.
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/09/04/t...
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/09/04/t...
The Technopolitics of China’s Yarlung Tsangpo Dam Project and the Paradox of Hydropower | Made in China Journal
Three years after announcing their intent to construct a mega-dam along the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River as part of the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan, Chinese officials gave their approval to proce...
madeinchinajournal.com
October 5, 2025 at 9:46 PM
I started to read this piece on #Tibet #YarlungTsangpo Dam expecting to learn more about #China govt approach to hydro, but there is a great deal more here on #politics #power #security, too.
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/09/04/t...
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/09/04/t...
From @Stanford @SCCEI summation of a book I'm keen to read: "The [#China] #Gaokao, in effect, is not just an academic test — it is a gate into an entirely different social contract."
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
The Highest Exam — Harvard University Press
Combining personal narratives with decades of research, a vivid account of how the gaokao—China’s high-stakes college admissions test—shapes that society and influences education debates in the United...
www.hup.harvard.edu
October 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
From @Stanford @SCCEI summation of a book I'm keen to read: "The [#China] #Gaokao, in effect, is not just an academic test — it is a gate into an entirely different social contract."
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...