Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced the Chinese government on Wednesday for intimidating individuals seeking reparation for abuses linked to the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The human rights group alleged that the government has instituted a campaign of harassment against citizens demanding that the government take responsibility for misconduct related to the virus.

The individuals’ grievances stem from abuses that took place during the lockdowns that took place from late January to early April. During this time, the Chinese government imposed severe restrictions on Wuhan’s citizens, including suspending travel leaving the city. The lockdowns also impeded individuals’ ability to access medical care and other life necessities.

Notably, international human rights law requires that countries protect the freedom of movement and that restriction on this freedom must be “lawful, necessary, and proportionate.” The UN Human Rights Committee mandates that when lockdowns are imposed that restrict citizens’ movement, government authorities must provide “access to food, water, health care, and care-giving support.”

HRW alleged that “Chinese authorities committed abuses under the pretext of COVID-19 lockdowns.” There is evidence of government officials taking extreme measures to ensure that citizens remained in their homes during the lockdowns. For example, authorities were seen sealing residents’ apartment doors and chaining individuals to posts for supposedly violating the restrictions.

Activists and lawyers told HRW that Chinese authorities had taken several measures to forestall the activism against the government. Advocates for those seeking redress pointed to strengthened surveillance of Chinese messaging apps and individual accounts of harassment. These accounts assert that government officials thwarted efforts to demand accountability from the government. Authorities are alleged to have followed critics on the street, threatened them, suspended their social media accounts, and locked the gates of their residences.

Furthermore, police and officials at justice bureaus across the country have forbidden human rights lawyers from assisting people seeking redress for COVID-19 related abuses by giving legal advice, speaking to the media, and signing petitions. Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at HRW, stated, “[r]epressing victims of abuses and their families is a cruel addition to the harm they’ve already suffered.”