On Wednesday 28 August, European External Action Service (EEAS) spokesperson Nabila Massrali deplored on the social network X the fact that representatives of EU diplomatic missions accredited in China were denied access to the courtroom during the trial of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, Xu Yan.
The trial of the couple, who were arrested in Beijing on 13 April 2023 on their way to a meeting of the EU delegation in Beijing, is taking place this week in Suzhou, a city in the south of Jiangsu province in eastern China.
Ms Massrali believes that this denial of access “undermines trust in due process requirements in China”.
She also reiterated the EU’s concerns for the welfare of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan, calling for their immediate release.
Ms Massrali also called for immediate clarification from the Chinese authorities regarding the “sudden and unexplained” detention by the police of lawyers Wang Yu and Yang Hui, who were also trying to attend the trial. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)