Lawyer nominated for human rights award

A Chinese human rights lawyer has been nominated for the annual Dutch Human Rights Tulip award.

Wang Quanzhang, one of the last human rights lawyers still imprisoned in the wake of a national crackdown more than two years ago, was named a candidate for the Human Rights Tulip 2017 award on Aug. 28. Since his incarceration, he has been barred from meeting with lawyers and kept from his wife, Li Wenzu.

By the time Wang vanished into police custody on Aug. 3, 2015, he had already launched extensive legal institutions in order to aid those who had been victimized by the government, including a network of “barefoot” lawyers who collectively represented more than 1,000 lawsuits. Additionally, he established Urgent Action, a program that financially assists human rights lawyers who are targeted for their work and their families, who often experience a dramatic decrease in income once the attorneys are arrested.

Shortly before his disappearance, the Chinese government labeled him as a threat to national security on account of his efforts.

Along with Wang, nine other people were named as candidates for the award, and voting determines the final three candidates, to be chosen by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs. The final results will be announced December 8.

Editor's Note: This story has been reproduced as it appears in ChinaAid's September 2017 newsletter, however shortly after printing, Wang Quanzhang was named as a final three candidate for the award.