Ding Jiaxi

Ding Jiaxi (born 17 August 1967) is a Chinese civil rights activist known for co-organizing the New Citizens' Movement advocating for political change in China. Ding was one of five dissidents detained after a secret meeting in Fujian. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022 for subversion of state power. In 2024, Ding was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his "commitment to human rights and peace in China" by the chairs of Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Conviction
In June 2022, Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong were given prison sentences for 14 and 12 years, respectively, after a closed-door trial in June 2022. The convictions were described as farcical by Human Rights Watch.

In response, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated in April 2023 that "I am very concerned that two prominent human rights defenders in China – Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong – have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, at variance with international human rights law standards."

Ding, along with Xu and human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung, received the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) Human Rights Award 2023 for their "courage, determination and commitment to defending human rights and the rule of law in China". CCBE President Panagiotis Perakis stated that "European lawyers will continue to closely monitor the situation and support their Chinese colleagues who need help. We will never accept that lawyers are targeted because of their legitimate activities as lawyers."

Ding was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 by chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China Christopher Smith and Jeff Merkley, commending on Ding's "deep commitment to human rights and peace in China".