Global rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Yadi (also known as Tara), a 22-year-old student advocate for Tibetan rights who was arrested in late July while visiting her family in China.
Zhang, originally from Changsha, Hunan, had been studying in France and was awarded a scholarship for a Master’s in Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, beginning September 2025. She returned to China on 5 July for the summer holidays but lost all contact with friends and colleagues on 30 July while in Shangri-La, Yunnan. The next day, she was arrested, and is now believed to be held at a detention centre in her hometown.
Chinese authorities have reportedly accused her of “endangering national security”, a vague charge frequently used against academics, students, and activists. If prosecuted under article 103(2) of China’s Criminal Law, which criminalises “inciting others to split the country and undermine national unity,” Zhang could face up to five years in prison—or up to 15 if deemed a ringleader.
Friends and colleagues became alarmed when Zhang abruptly ceased all communications on July 30, and activity on her WeChat account, combined with inconsistent statements from her mother, only deepened concerns about both her safety and her family’s freedom.
While studying in France, Zhang edited Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet (@CYS4T), a digital platform founded in the wake of the 2022 White Paper Protests against Beijing’s Zero-Covid policy. The group publishes writings on Tibetan culture, critiques of Han chauvinism, and interethnic dialogue, with recent posts including a Tibetan musician’s profile, a female entrepreneur’s story, and letters reflecting Tibetan perspectives on Tibet.
“The Chinese authorities are threatening to imprison 22-year-old student-activist Zhang Yadi for years for speaking out against racial injustice and peacefully exercising her rights like many young people around the world,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at HRW. “The authorities seem fearful of people building bridges across ethnic lines that deviate from the official Chinese Communist Party line.”
Fluent in Chinese, Tibetan, English, and French, Zhang had completed her undergraduate degree at the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP Business School). Her arrest has sparked concern among fellow international students, many of whom fear retaliation for engaging with issues of social justice, minority rights, and interethnic solidarity.
On 16 September, human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong, who had been entrusted by friends to assist Zhang’s mother, Ms. Zhou, was himself forcibly taken by unidentified individuals in Changsha. Though later released, his phone was confiscated, raising concerns over the family’s access to independent legal support.
Zhang’s case reflects a broader pattern of repression targeting those who advocate for minority rights in China. Past cases include Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, serving life imprisonment since 2014 for “separatism,” and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who repeatedly spoke out for Tibet before his death in custody.
Her arrest also highlights Beijing’s transnational repression: some Chinese students, having experienced racism abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic, were drawn to movements such as Black Lives Matter and became more critical of state oppression in Tibet and Xinjiang. But these students face surveillance, harassment, and arbitrary detention upon returning home.
HRW called on governments, particularly France and the United Kingdom, to intervene. It urged Paris to defend the rights of Chinese students studying in France to free expression, while pressing London to ensure Zhang’s release so she can begin her studies.
“Zhang Yadi should be starting graduate school in London, not starting jail,” Uluyol stressed. “France, the UK, and other governments should press Beijing to free her and return her to her studies.”