On September 19, 2024, The Catholic University of America hosted a special screening and discussion of the documentary The Defenders – 20 Years of Human Rights Lawyers in China, featuring remarks by the film’s director, Yaxue Cao, and Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng. The event was part of the Center for Human Rights’ ongoing mission to spotlight courageous voices standing against authoritarian oppression.

Yaxue Cao, founder and editor of ChinaChange.org, introduced the film and shared the vision behind its creation. The Defenders chronicles the harrowing and inspiring stories of Chinese human rights lawyers—men and women who have risked imprisonment, torture, and disappearance to uphold justice and defend the voiceless. Among those profiled is Gao Zhisheng, a prominent attorney whose portrait now hangs in the Columbus School of Law as a testament to his courage and suffering.

Chen Guangcheng, who himself endured persecution, imprisonment, and house arrest in China before escaping to the United States, offered personal reflections on the themes of the film. He underscored the extraordinary sacrifices made by these legal advocates and emphasized the need for international awareness and solidarity in defending their cause.

The event brought students, faculty, and guests into a deeper understanding of the legal and moral landscape in contemporary China—where the pursuit of justice can be a crime, and the defense of human dignity a dangerous calling. Through the voices of the persecuted and the witness of the brave, the evening reaffirmed the Center’s commitment to truth, freedom, and the inalienable rights of the human person.