Berlin, Germany, December 10, 2025. On International Human Rights Day, multiple human rights organizations and civic groups held a joint demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. Protesters gathered to denounce the CCP’s long-standing human rights violations, suppression of religious freedom, and the extension of its repression abroad. The event was initiated by Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID), with participation from groups including the Freedom for Hong Kong, World Uyghur Congress (WUC), Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ADHRRF), Chinese New Citizens Movement Alliance, and Society for Threatened Peoples, among others.
At the rally, participants held up signs reading “Human Rights Now!”, “We Want Freedom! Faith is Not a Crime!”, and “Freedom of Speech! End the Oppression!” They also displayed photos of multiple Chinese prisoners of conscience, including democracy advocates Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi, as well as a number of Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG) who were persecuted to death for their faith.
Multi-Ethnic Groups Unite in Voice: Human Rights Cannot Be Selectively Ignored
The event was moderated by Tenzyn Zöschbauer, Executive Director of Tibet Initiative Deutschland. Representatives from each group took turns to speak, denouncing the human rights situation in China and related regions.
Hong Kong: Civil Society Systematically Dismantled
Amy Siu, Vice Chair of the Freedom for Hong Kong Association, stated that she came to the protest site because Hong Kong people have lost the space to speak out for themselves. She pointed out that human rights and freedoms should be inherent birthrights for everyone, yet under CCP rule in Hong Kong, these rights are being continuously stripped away.
She mentioned that a recent devastating fire in Hong Kong resulted in many deaths. When citizens launched a spontaneous petition demanding a thorough government investigation and accountability, some individuals, however, were arrested as a result, and volunteers preparing supplies for the victims were also suppressed by the police. In her view, these incidents demonstrate that civil society in Hong Kong has been completely suppressed. She emphasized that Hong Kongers have not only lost their freedom locally, but those living overseas also face the threat of transnational repression; therefore, it is vital to continue speaking out to the international community.
Tibet: Culture and Religion Under Systematic Assimilation
Dundup Donka, Chair of the Association of Tibetans in Germany (VTD, Verein der Tibeter in Deutschland), pointed out that International Human Rights Day serves as a reminder that everyone—regardless of origin, belief, or ethnicity—is entitled to equal rights. However, these rights are being continuously trampled upon in Tibet, mainland China, Hong Kong, and East Turkestan (Xinjiang).
He emphasized that Tibet has long been under high-pressure rule, with political repression, religious restrictions, and forced assimilation policies advancing in parallel. In particular, the large-scale implementation of the forced colonial boarding school system has separated many Tibetan children from their families, language, and religious belief, forcing them to undergo monocultural and ideological indoctrination. He called on the international community to confront this reality, stating that “human rights should not stop at national borders.”
Xinjiang: Concentration Camps, Forced Labor, and Cultural Genocide
A representative from the World Uyghur Congress stated in her speech that, according to official data, over 1.5 million Uyghurs are being detained in so-called “re-education camps.” These facilities, in essence, are prisons, forced labor camps, and centers of torture.
Within these camps, Uyghurs are forced to renounce their religious and cultural traditions; they are compelled to speak Mandarin, drink alcohol, and eat pork. Children are sent to boarding schools, completely isolated from their families. Furthermore, a large number of detainees are transferred to forced labor camps, where they are made to work up to 12 hours a day without any pay. Some international brands have also been accused of profiting from this system.
In addition, the speaker mentioned the severe harm caused to Uyghur families by the “Pair Up and Become Family” policy, as well as cases where Uyghurs living abroad face retaliation against their relatives in China for speaking out, emphasizing that this constitutes a grave violation of human dignity.
Haiyuer Kuerban, Director of the Berlin Office of the World Uyghur Congress, added that the human rights situation in China has not improved in over 70 years. He stated that what is currently unfolding is racial genocide, cultural genocide, and the total suppression of religious freedom and freedom of speech.
Mainland China: The Church of Almighty God Suffers Severe Persecution
Regarding religious persecution, Xu Xiaoxiao, a CAG Christian, described in her speech the systematic repression the Church has long endured.
Since its establishment in China in the 1990s, The Church of Almighty God has been subjected to continuous crackdowns by the CCP authorities. For over thirty years, the authorities have conducted large-scale arrests, torture interrogations, and long-term imprisonments of believers through secret documents and special operations, in an attempt to completely eradicate the church.
According to incomplete statistics, in 2024 alone, at least 19,053 CAG members were arrested, and 2,175 were sentenced to prison terms, with many receiving sentences of over seven years and the longest reaching 14 years. At least 28 believers died as a result of persecution that year. As of June 2025, the cumulative number of arrests has exceeded 500,000, with at least 307 deaths documented.
She emphasized that the persecution does not stop at China’s border. In recent years, the CCP has carried out transnational repression against CAG Christians who have fled abroad by coercing their relatives inside China, monitoring overseas churches, launching online smear campaigns, and interfering with asylum procedures. Through these various means, they attempt to force them back to China to continue their persecution.
During the event, several Christians were interviewed.
Christian Tian Qi stated that everyone should enjoy human rights of freedom and equality. She said: “Although I am fortunate to have escaped to Germany, a country with religious freedom, there are still many Christians in China who, like me, are persecuted, arrested, and even imprisoned and harmed by the CCP. By participating in this way, I hope more people will pay attention to human rights and to the persecution faced by Christians in China, and help restore freedom for us Christians.”
Christian Yan Huan said during her interview that enjoying the most basic freedom of belief is a right that everyone should deserve. As a Christian, when even one’s most fundamental faith is suppressed and persecuted—how can there be any talk of human rights, freedom, or personal liberty? CAG Christians have long suffered arrests and persecution by the CCP; in 2024 alone, at least 28 were persecuted to death. This shows that in China, there is simply no way to enjoy freedom of religious belief. She seeks to speak for those in China whose voices are silenced, so that more people see clearly the CCP’s dictatorial rule and better understand the reality of persecution faced by Christians in China. She called for greater international attention to China’s human rights situation and hopes that relevant institutions will impose sanctions on the CCP for its human rights violations.
Christian Zeng Minyan said that on this International Human Rights Day, she truly experienced the human rights and freedoms enjoyed overseas, especially in Germany, where people can openly speak out for holding fast to their faith. She mentioned that she herself had suffered persecution in China because of her faith, and it is precisely this personal experience that makes her cherish even more the right to express her faith in a free society.
Zeng Minyan said: “By participating in this event, I hope to remind more people to pay attention to the current human rights situation in China, and to emphasize that everyone should enjoy the basic right to freedom of religion and belief.” She called on the international community to maintain its focus on and protect those who are currently suffering from religious persecution.
Christian Liu Xiaohong said in her interview that it was only after arriving in the West that she truly experienced human rights and freedom. In China, there is no freedom or human rights, and Christians are targets of persecution. Practicing her faith in China was extremely difficult, with the constant risk of losing her life. Therefore, on this special day, she came forward to voice the deep yearning of Christians for freedom of belief.
Christian Zhou Shilan, when speaking about the state of religious belief in China, said: “We Christians have no freedom of belief. When we gather for worship meetings, we have to lock the doors and pull the curtains; practicing our faith like that feels very oppressive. Today I am fortunate to come to Germany, where I have personally experienced human rights and freedom and now understand what human rights are. I feel honored to have this chance to speak out for the oppressed Christians in China.” She said in her interview that many Christians remain in China, where they face brutal persecution by the CCP for holding onto their faith. Since they have no opportunity to express their own voices, she came to call on all nations to pay attention to the religious freedom and human rights of Christians in China.
Christian Dong Lisi expressed during her interview that participating in these activities made her realize more clearly that human rights are not abstract concepts, but are closely tied to everyone’s lives. Having been able to escape from China and enjoy the freedom of belief in Germany, she feels a deep sense of gratitude. For this very reason, she finds it impossible to ignore the dire situation faced by Christians in China. She called on governments around the world to face this reality and to express clear concern and condemnation regarding the CCP’s persecution of Christians.
Christian Zhen Jin said in her interview: “Practicing faith in China is very oppressive and painful. The Chinese Constitution states that citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief, but that is all just a show for foreigners. Just because of their faith, many Christians are arrested and imprisoned, and some are even persecuted to death.” On this significant occasion of International Human Rights Day, she called on more people to pay attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in China. She stated that Christians should enjoy the right to freedom of belief and that the CCP’s brutal persecution of Christians fully exposes its evil nature.
Democracy Activists and Prisoners of Conscience: Transnational Repression Has Become a Real Threat
Wang Shoufeng, an initiator of the Chinese New Citizens Movement, pointed out in his speech that China’s constitution and laws are entirely subservient to Party power, and the so-called laws are merely “Party laws.” Democracy activists Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong were sentenced to heavy prison terms of 12 years and 14 years respectively, demonstrating that true rule of law does not exist in China.
Media professional Su Yutong stated at the rally that several of her friends have been sentenced or held in long-term detention due to their involvement in public affairs or their religious beliefs. These include Ding Jiaxi, Xu Zhiyong, and Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who has been missing for over eight years after speaking out for those suffering religious persecution. She called on the international community to pay attention to these prisoners of conscience and urged for their immediate release.
She also pointed out that she herself is a victim of transnational repression. On November 26, while participating in an event in Germany commemorating the third anniversary of the “White Paper Movement,” she was surrounded, filmed, and reported to the police by several Chinese individuals. She believes such actions, carried out on German soil, constitute long-arm law enforcement and transnational repression. Following the incident, she reported the matter to the German police and relevant government departments.
The International Community’s Responsibility: Silence Only Enables Persecution
Stefan Ziebenrock, head of the Berlin regional branch of the Society for Threatened Peoples, pointed out that the demonstration brought together people from diverse backgrounds, indicating that the number of victims continues to grow. He emphasized that when confronting an authoritarian regime driven by the logic that “might makes right,” silence on the part of the international community will only embolden further persecution.
Li Wei, an ADHRRF representative, also pointed out that freedom of expression, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of assembly are not abstract concepts, but rights that directly affect the daily lives of ordinary people. He warned that if the international community chooses to dodge these issues, those who have already been silenced will remain invisible forever.
At the conclusion of the event, the organizer and representatives of the Society for Threatened Peoples jointly read aloud the first five articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Participants then chanted in unison: “We want human rights! We want freedom! Freedom for Christians! Freedom for Hong Kong! Freedom for Tibet! Freedom for the Uyghurs!”
On Human Rights Day, the rally outside the Chinese Embassy delivered a clear appeal to the world: human rights are not negotiable, freedom must not be suppressed, and transnational repression must be confronted.
