— Asia News reports: “Well-known lawyer and activist Xu Zhiyong in prison for ‘tax evasion'”
— “Xu is said to have failed to pay taxes owed by Gongmeng, a human rights organisation. In reality, experts suggest the authorities are demanding the payment of business taxes to silence dissent ahead of the celebrations to mark the 60 years of the People’s Republic of China.”
— “After spending three weeks in prison Xu Zhiyong, a well-known Chinese human rights lawyer, was formally charged with tax evasion. This confirms what many experts fear, namely that the government is cracking down on human rights activists ahead of 1 October, the day of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in order to prevent protests and dissent.”