Barefoot Lawyer Reports

In Spring 2023, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights hosted its first-ever Human Rights Essay Contest. The theme was tackling human rights in China. The prompt was: "Explain why Communism is an inadequate system of governance, specifically in Communist China. Cite examples of human rights abuses in China as evidence. Finally, explain why American ideals and institution...

"Then, four men with electric shock prods began beating my head and all over my body. Nothing but the noise of the beating and my anxious breathing could be heard. I was beaten so severely that my whole body began uncontrollably shaking. “Don’t pretend to do that!” I was shouted at by a guy whom I later learned was named Wang. Then a very strong and tall (1.9 meters) man grabbed my hair and p...

In Spring 2023, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights hosted its first-ever Human Rights Essay Contest. The theme was tackling human rights in China. The prompt was: "Explain why Communism is an inadequate system of governance, specifically in Communist China. Cite examples of human rights abuses in China as evidence. Finally, explain why American ideals and institution...

In July of 2023, a college student in China posted footage of a mouse head he found in his cafeteria food. The local government swiftly insisted it was a duck neck, not a mouse head. They then forced the student to share a video saying it was a duck neck, though a formal investigation revealed that it was, indeed, a mouse head. Since then, the student has not been heard from online, leading many a...

In July of 2023, the Chinese Communist Party arrested a man who built a bridge over a river without the government's blessing. The river had killed several people who tried crossing it, though the Communist Party refused to help the villagers. The man built the bridge himself and was hailed as a hero by his community but was deemed a threat by the Party.

Chen Guangcheng reflects on the one year anniversary of his Bradley Prize. This prestigious award is given to people whose work advances the values of freedom and American excellence. Link to part one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U1JqLmoSZY

On behalf of the Center for Human Rights, Chen Guangcheng wishes you a happy Independence Day. Today, we encourage you to reflect on the blessings of liberty and democracy, as we continue to fight for human rights around the world, especially in Communist China.

Wang Quanzhang was a victim of the infamous 709 crackdown in 2015. Ever since, he has been harassed by the Communist Party. In the last couple months, he has been evicted 14 times in an effort to relocate his family to a rural part of China. The Communist Party has been trying to force the families of activists to stay away from Beijing, where activists are more connected to Western media, so they...

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China is upsetting many Chinese citizens. On account of his visit, the Communist Party displaced and imprisoned many human rights activists. Furthermore, Netizens who hoped for American support are concerned that the Biden administration seemingly prioritized trade over human rights during this visit.

Chen Guangcheng reflects on the one year anniversary of his Bradley Prize. This prestigious award is given to people whose work advances the values of freedom and American excellence.

The Barefoot Lawyer Reports commemorates the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre by launching a series of biographies of human rights activists in China. This week, we feature Hu Jia, a participant at Tiananmen Square whose whistle-blowing activities drew punishment from the Communist Party.

Listen to part 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dYyNWXymo4s5xDud5LDpp?si=R-hIeuIERCunvgeb_iaBcg Bob Fu, Founder and President of China Aid, discusses worsening restrictions on religious freedoms in China, specifically a frightening new law that requires church attenders to be tracked by an app on their phones.

The Barefoot lawyer reports is proud to announce the publication of a research paper from the Center for human rights. It addresses the topic of this podcast, which is the establishment of illegal policing and surveillance stations by the Chinese Communist party in America and other countries. To read this research paper visit https://arts-sciences.catholic.edu/academics/interdisciplinary/human-ri...

Bob Fu, Founder and President of China Aid, discusses worsening restrictions on religious freedoms in China, specifically a frightening new law that requires church attenders to be tracked by an app on their phones.

A new so-called "anti espionage law" has drastically changed China's definition of spying. Chen Guangcheng believes this has been done for the purpose of targeting critics of the Communist Party, both in mainland China and abroad.

Fang Bin was an early COVID whistleblower who was arrested for leaking pictures and videos he took in Wuhan hospitals at the beginnings of the pandemic. For years, no one knew where Fang Bin was until news recently emerged of his upcoming release.

Ding Jiaxi has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for "subverting authority" in Communist China. Sophie Luo, his wife, speaks out about his imprisonment. https://cua.cascadecms.com/renderfile/4ff24a297f00000103c0dce7576187f0/academics/interdisciplinary/resources-on-xu-zhiyong_2021.12.06.pdf

On March 25, 2023, Center for Human Rights Fellow Chen Guangcheng was invited to attend an anti-Communist Party protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Guangcheng brought several other renowned human rights activists with him, including China Aid President Bob Fu and three women whose husbands are currently imprisoned by the Communist Party. Gabrielle Dankanich, organizer of the pro...

On March 25, 2023, Center for Human Rights Fellow Chen Guangcheng was invited to attend an anti-Communist Party protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Guangcheng brought several other renowned human rights activists with him, including China Aid President Bob Fu and three women whose husbands are currently imprisoned by the Communist Party. Gabrielle Dankanich, organizer of the pro...

Chen Guangcheng talks about Xi Jinping's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the reasoning behind the visit, and how the visit was received by Chinese citizens.

In part one of this Barefoot Lawyer Reports special, Chen Guangcheng tells the story of his daring escape from China.

The Chinese Communist Party has been using various nonprofits as fronts for spies and secret police forces who harass and intimidate human rights activists, ex-Communist Party members, and Chinese immigrants. Chen Guangcheng comments on Representative Mike Gallagher's (WI-8) recent protest outside a Chinese organization that had been recently shut down for funding an underground a Communist force...

The United States Department of Energy has confirmed that the COVID-19 lab leak theory has credence. Chen Guangcheng talks about the dangers of censorship in the media.

Massive protests have erupted in China in response to the Communist Party's reduction of medical insurance for the elderly. Years of spending on COVID-19 and building a surveillance state have depleted funds that were used to aid the elderly and retirees. Meanwhile, more spy balloons have been spotted across America, and the United States government has struggled to respond to the Communist Party.

Chen Guangcheng talks about his advocacy against the one-child policy and how he exposed forced abortions performed by the Chinese Communist Party. This led to his arrest, imprisonment, and escape to the United States embassy.