Chen Jiangang is one of hundreds of Chinese lawyers whose lives have been upended since July 9, 2015 — the day China's government launched an unprecedented nationwide crackdown on legal professionals defending human rights.

"That night, I was like a frightened bird," Chen told DW. "I was in Beijing and figured someone might come looking for me. I drove far away and hid in my car until two or three in the morning."

The incident, known as the "709 crackdown," led to more than 300 human rights lawyers and legal assistants being arrested and interrogated. At least 15 were later convicted of national security offenses.

Although Chen wasn't arrested, he soon became a target after he represented several lawyers who were detained during the crackdown.

In 2019, under mounting pressure, he fled to the United States with his wife and sons to seek asylum.

The 709 crackdown came days after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, enacted a series of laws on July 1 to toughen national security and protect China's "core interests" — namely its territorial sovereignty and integrity, keeping the CCP in power, and ensuring China's continued social and economic growth.

Critics, however, argue that the

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