Dutch Leiden University Student Hu Yang's Trial Opens Without Verdict: Overseas Students Become New Target of China's Cross-Border Speech Control

Dutch Leiden University Student Hu Yang's Trial Opens Without Verdict: Overseas Students Become New Target of China's Cross-Border Speech Control

The trial of Hu Yang, a student from Leiden University in the Netherlands, has opened in Zhengzhou, China, without a verdict being announced. Hu Yang was arrested at Shanghai Pudong International Airport while visiting his family and was charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." The case has drawn attention to the issue of overseas Chinese students' freedom of speech and the risks they face when returning to China.

According to publicly available information, Hu Yang was taken away by police at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after returning to China in July

1. He was later criminally detained by the Henan police on suspicion of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and was formally arrested in the same year. He is currently being held at the Zhengzhou Third Detention Center.

The case has sparked concern not only because Hu Yang is a young student who graduated from a prestigious European university but also because it has raised questions about the Chinese government's increasing efforts to control speech across borders.

From Wuhan University to Leiden University, a Young Scholar's Life Path Was Abruptly Interrupted

Publicly available information shows that Hu Yang was born in the 2000s in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and had excellent academic performance since childhood. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to Wuhan University's School of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and also studied law at the university's School of Politics and Public Administration, graduating with a double degree in chemistry and law.

In September 2024, Hu Yang went to the Netherlands to pursue further studies at Leiden University's Faculty of Humanities, where he earned a master's degree in philosophy with a focus on political and economic philosophy. Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the oldest university in the Netherlands and one of the most important research universities in Europe.

According to reports, Hu Yang completed his master's studies in the summer of 2025 and planned to continue his doctoral studies in the Netherlands. However, his academic plans were interrupted when he returned to China to visit his family.

Detained at the Airport on the Day of His Return, "Speech Problems" Became the Key Word in the Case

According to his family, on July 26, 2025, Hu Yang and his fellow Wuhan University alumnus Wu Haoyu, who was studying at the Polytechnic University of Milan in Italy, returned to China together.

After their plane landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, they were taken away by the police and have since been out of contact.

The family has repeatedly asked the public security authorities about the reason for Hu Yang's detention but has not received a clear answer. The authorities only stated that the case involves "speech problems" and is a politically sensitive case, and therefore, they are restricting the family's access to information about the case and not allowing lawyers to meet with Hu Yang.

Due to the prolonged inability to contact her son, Hu Yang's mother publicly called for lawyers to intervene in the case.

However, after the proxy lawyer applied to meet with Hu Yang, they were also rejected.

The Mother's Online Plea for Help Was Quickly Suppressed

As Hu Yang's detention time continued to be extended, in September 2025, universities in Europe began their new semester.

Since Hu Yang had been out of contact for a long time, his rental housing, personal belongings, academic affairs, and daily life arrangements in the Netherlands were all left unattended.

Hu Yang's mother had to post a public plea for help on social media, hoping that his European classmates could help with matters such as terminating his rental contract, sorting out his belongings, and handling related affairs.

However, according to her public statement, on the day she posted the plea for help, local authorities came to her door and asked her to delete the post and stop speaking out publicly.

Facing pressure, Hu Yang's mother publicly asked a series of questions:

"Is it against the law to post a missing person's plea for help? Who will pay the nearly 2,000 euros in rent per month if my son's rental contract is not terminated? Who will handle his university affairs? Who will take care of his personal belongings?"

These questions have not been publicly answered.

Later, on September 3, 2025, Hu Yang and Wu Haoyu were formally approved for arrest.

The Lawyer's Meeting Was Repeatedly Blocked, and the Case Remained in a Highly Closed State

In late October 2025, the case was transferred to the Zhengzhou Second Seven District People's Procuratorate for review and prosecution.

A few days later, the proxy lawyer again applied to review the case files and meet with Hu Yang, but the relevant departments stated that the transfer procedures had not been completed and continued to reject the lawyer's meeting request.

In the face of continued obstruction, the family sent materials to the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau, the Henan Public Security Department, the Ministry of Public Security, and multiple procuratorial organs, hoping to legally guarantee the lawyer's right to meet with Hu Yang and ensure that the case is handled in accordance with the law.

Until November 9, 2025, 107 days after Hu Yang's detention, the lawyer was finally allowed to meet with him.

However, according to the family, after the meeting, the lawyer could only confirm that Hu Yang's physical and mental condition was basically normal and convey his daily needs, such as clothing, but due to restrictions, the lawyer could not provide detailed information about the case to the family.

The First Trial Has Been Held, but Why Is It Still Under Continuous Attention?

On July 21, 2026, it was reported that the case had completed its first trial at the Zhengzhou Second Seven District People's Court, but the court did not announce a verdict.

So far, the indictment, trial transcript, and specific speech content on which the case is based have not been made public, and the court has not publicly explained which specific behaviors constitute the facts of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."

The case has therefore continued to attract attention.

On the one hand, this is another case in recent years where an overseas Chinese student has been involved in a criminal justice process due to suspected speech crimes after returning to China; on the other hand, the case's legal application, procedural guarantees, and the boundary between speech and criminal responsibility have become a topic of continuous social discussion.

Why Is the Risk of Overseas Students Returning to China Still Under Continuous Attention?

In recent years, as more and more Chinese students study abroad, many have been exposed to a more open information environment and participate in academic discussions, public issue exchanges, or express personal opinions on international social platforms.

At the same time, some public reports have shown that some students have been investigated, summoned for talks, or even entered the criminal process after returning to China due to online speech, participation in public activities, or other reasons.

The Hu Yang case is therefore seen by many observers as a noteworthy case that deserves continuous attention.

The case reflects not only the change in an individual's fate but also broader issues, such as how to define the relationship between overseas study, cross-border information exchange, online expression, and criminal justice.

The Case Is Still Awaiting a Verdict, and Future Developments Are Worth Continuous Attention

As of the time of publication, the Zhengzhou Second Seven District People's Court has not announced the first trial verdict in the Hu Yang case, and the case is still in the waiting stage.

For Hu Yang and Wu Haoyu, who were detained together, the final judicial determination of the case remains to be seen.

For the vast number of overseas Chinese students, the attention generated by this case has already gone beyond the individual case itself. As cross-border information dissemination becomes more widespread and overseas study exchanges increase, how to balance national security, legal application, citizen rights protection, and judicial procedure transparency will remain an important issue that society continues to pay attention to.