Press Release: Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union regarding the recent arrest of Dr Xu Zhiyong and other civil society activists in China

The High Representative, Catherine Ashton on 28 August 2013, on behalf of the European Union, expressed her deep concerns over the arrest of Dr Xu Zhiyong on 21 August 2013, following his detention on 16 July 2013, as well as over the detention of several other Chinese civil society activists who have in recent months publicly advocated the rule of law, transparency and social justice and campaigned against corruption.