CNHRA PERSON RECORD · CNHRA-P-119780
Huang Qi
Born
Occupation
Human rights website founder and citizen journalist
Role
Human Rights Defender
Record ID
CNHRA-P-119780
Biography
Huang Qi founded 64 Tianwang in 1998, initially working on missing people and trafficking before expanding its coverage to rights violations and public complaints.[7]
64 Tianwang developed a network of citizen journalists documenting complaints and protests. RSF awarded Huang its Cyber-Dissident Prize in 2004 and the website its media-category Press Freedom Prize in 2016. Its award profile also documented arrests of reporters and cyberattacks on the site.[8]
Detained in 2000 over material published on the site, Huang was sentenced to five years in 2003. The UN Working Group later found his detention in that case violated freedom of expression.[5][1]
After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, he investigated collapsed schools and construction quality. Detained that June, he was tried behind closed doors in 2009 and sentenced to three years on a state-secrets possession charge.[2]
He was detained again in November 2016 and sentenced to twelve years in 2019. His mother Pu Wenqing publicly sought remedies, while lawyers raised issues of access, case files and health. China’s 2025 reply stated that he was serving his sentence in Bazhong Prison, Sichuan; UN Special Procedures sought information on visits and medical care.[1][3][4]
Case Summary
Huang faced three separate cases: detention over online publication in 2000 and a five-year sentence in 2003; detention after earthquake-school investigations in 2008 and a three-year sentence in 2009; and detention in 2016 followed by twelve years in 2019. Each involved separate proceedings and accusations.[5][2][1]
HRW reported publication on July 29, 2019, of a twelve-year sentence for deliberately leaking state secrets and illegally providing state secrets abroad. China’s 2025 reply records its confirmation by Sichuan High Court on December 13, 2019, with four years’ deprivation of political rights and confiscation of 20,000 yuan. Special Procedures sought information about access and medical care.[1][3][4]
Timeline
1998
Founds 64 Tianwang
The site initially worked on missing people and trafficking, later expanding to rights violations and public complaints.
The site began with missing persons and trafficking and later used a network of citizen reporters to document local grievances and protests. RSF’s 2016 award profile recalls Huang’s 2004 award and reports detention of contributors and cyberattacks. This history of reporting runs across three distinct criminal cases.[7][8]
2000-06-05
Detained in an earlier internet-publication case
Both the source account and government reply reproduced in Opinion No. 15/2004 give June 5. They disagree over the warrant, access to counsel and treatment.[5]
2003-05-09
Five-year sentence in the earlier case
Paragraphs 9 and 11 of the opinion both record a five-year sentence at Chengdu Intermediate Court on May 9.[5]
2003-08-07
Government reply records appeal dismissal
Paragraph 11(g) attributes to the government the Sichuan High People’s Court’s decision upholding the sentence.[5]
2004-09-15
Opinion No. 15/2004 adopted
Paragraph 15 finds category II arbitrary detention in violation of freedom of expression. This concerns the earlier case and is distinct from the 2019 proceedings.[5]
2008-06-10
Detained after Sichuan earthquake inquiries
HRW reports Huang’s detention in Chengdu in a case connected to his investigation of collapsed schools after the earthquake.[2]
2008-07-18
State-secrets accusation formally reported
HRW records a formal state-secrets possession accusation on July 18 following earthquake-school investigations.[2]
2009-08-05
Reported closed trial
HRW records a closed hearing in Chengdu in the state-secrets case.[2]
2009-11-23
Three-year sentence in earlier case
HRW reports a Chengdu state-secrets-possession sentence following earthquake-school investigations, distinct from the 2019 case.
Human Rights Watch linked the accusations to his investigation of collapsed schools and construction quality after the Sichuan earthquake, noting that the alleged secrets and evidence were not disclosed. It recorded the closed hearing on August 5 and family concerns about his health. This three-year term is distinct from the five-year sentence in 2003 and twelve-year sentence in 2019.[2]
2016-11-07
RSF announces media-category prize for 64 Tianwang
RSF announced the website’s prize and a ceremony scheduled for the following day.[8]
2016-11-28
Again disappears from contact and is detained
HRW’s contemporaneous account records Huang missing from November 28.[6]
2016-12-16
Family receives formal arrest notice
HRW’s update records receipt of a formal arrest notice concerning state secrets provided abroad and detention in Mianyang City Detention Center.[6]
2018-04-23
Working Group adopts opinion
Opinion No. 22/2018 finds categories II and III arbitrary detention and calls for release and remedies.[7]
2019-07-29
Reported court announcement of 12-year sentence
Human Rights Watch reports that the court website announced Huang’s twelve-year sentence on state-secrets charges.
HRW situated the announcement after a closed hearing in Mianyang that January and questioned the use of state-secrets charges. China’s 2025 reply states that the Sichuan High People’s Court upheld the judgment on December 13, 2019, with four years’ deprivation of political rights and confiscation of 20,000 yuan. Special Procedures later continued to seek information about visits and medical care.[1][3][4]
2019-12-13
Appeal upheld according to China’s reply
China’s reply states that Sichuan High Court upheld twelve years, four years’ deprivation of political rights and confiscation of 20,000 yuan.[3]
2025-02-28
UN seeks information on care and visits
Special Procedures ask China about reported prolonged lack of visits and health concerns, including medical and investigative measures.[4]
Related Events
2000-06-05
Huang Qi: Detention in 2000, Five-Year Sentence and Opinion No. 15/2004
黄琦2000年拘押、五年判刑与第15/2004号意见
CNHRA-E-136707
2008-06-10
Huang Qi: Detention after Sichuan Earthquake Inquiries and Three-Year Sentence
黄琦四川地震调查后拘押与三年判刑
CNHRA-E-454208
2016-11
Huang Qi: Detention in 2016, Twelve-Year Sentence and Later Concerns about Visits and Health
黄琦2016年拘押、十二年判刑及后续会见医疗争议
CNHRA-E-723999
Documents
Sources
- [1]
CNHRA-S-452090Human Rights Watch
Evidence location: Opening sentencing paragraph and paragraphs on Huang’s background and closed trial in January 2019.
- [2]
CNHRA-S-532776Human Rights Watch
Evidence location: Opening paragraphs: Chengdu sentence on 23 November 2009 and earthquake-school investigations.
- [3]
CNHRA-S-188382Government of China / United Nations
Evidence location: PDF cover dated 29 April 2025; sections I.A, I.B, I.D and III.
- [4]
CNHRA-S-721486UN Special Procedures
Evidence location: PDF pp. 1–5; sections on Ding Jiaxi, Gao Zhisheng, Huang Qi and Ilham Tohti; questions to the government.
- [5]
CNHRA-S-843054United Nations / University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
Evidence location: Paragraphs 6–15: government response, May 9, 2003 sentence and arbitrary-detention finding; university reproduction.
- [6]
CNHRA-S-737363Human Rights Watch
Evidence location: Body and subsequent updates: Jiang missing on November 21, Huang on November 28; family notices in December.
- [7]
CNHRA-S-376480UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Evidence location: Paragraphs 4–5 on the website; 68–72 disposition; adopted April 23, 2018. Opinion No. 22/2018, paragraph 4: date of birth.
- [8]
CNHRA-S-320977Reporters Without Borders
Evidence location: Opening announcement and 64Tianwang paragraph, including Huang’s 2004 prize.