On January 25, 2025, prominent Southern Mongolian political prisoner Mr. Hada was rushed to a hospital in the regional capital Hohhot by Chinese State Security personnel assigned to monitor him. The urgent medical intervention came shortly after Hada’s nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize by four Japanese parliament members was confirmed. According to his wife, Xinna, Hada remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Affiliated Hospital of the Inner Mongolia Medical University.

Photos and video footage obtained by the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) from Xinna show Hada receiving critical care, lying on an ICU bed with an oxygen mask. One image reveals severe bruising on his left leg, marked by dark purple and black spots.

“On January 25, State Security officials made multiple urgent calls to my son, Uiles, informing him that Hada was in critical condition but refusing to clarify the cause,” Xinna told SMHRIC in a phone interview. “We rushed to the hospital and found him on an ICU bed, barely conscious.”

Xinna further disclosed that State Security officials informed her and Uiles that Hada’s condition was life-threatening due to alleged multiple organ failure, and there was no guarantee of survival. Although a critical condition notice was issued by the hospital, State Security personnel refused to share the document with his family.

“Since our first visit to the ICU, we have not been allowed to see Hada again,” Xinna said. “On January 28, the hospital contacted Uiles, stating that Hada’s condition was improving but that he remained under intensive care.”

Hada has been confined to an apartment controlled by the State Security Bureau since completing a 15-year prison sentence in 2010, followed by four years of extrajudicial detention. As of 2025, Hada has spent 30 years deprived of freedom. According to Xinna, his health has deteriorated significantly due to the harsh conditions of his detention and house arrest, which were reportedly worse than his initial 15 years imprisonment.

“What’s even more egregious is that the State Security personnel had the audacity to ask whether we, as family members, could pay for the urgent care needed to save Hada’s life,” Xinna added. “I told them that since he has been in their custody for years, it is their responsibility to provide his medical care and save his life.”

Mr. Hada, born in 1955, is a distinguished political activist and the President of the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance (SMDA), an underground organization banned by the Chinese government as a “national separatist group”. A lifelong advocate for the human rights and self-determination of Southern Mongolia, often referred to as “Inner Mongolia” in China, he has tirelessly fought against the systemic marginalization, cultural suppression, and human rights abuses faced by the region’s six million Mongolian residents.

In 1992, Hada co-founded the SMDA to advance the political, cultural, and economic rights of the Mongolian people as guaranteed under China’s Constitution. The organization has focused on peaceful advocacy, including protecting the Mongolian language, preserving cultural heritage, and defending political and human rights against Chinese settler colonialism.

In 1995, he was arrested on charges of “separatism” and “espionage” and sentenced to 15 years in prison. International human rights organizations widely condemned his imprisonment as unjust and politically motivated. Amnesty International recognized Hada as a “prisoner of conscience” and advocated for his release tirelessly. After completing his sentence in 2010, Hada was immediately subjected to four additional years of detention without trial, followed by 11 years of strict house arrest in a secret facility under constant surveillance.

Despite enduring three decades of severe hardships, Hada has remained steadfast in his peaceful resistance. Dubbed the “Nelson Mandela of Southern Mongolia,” he is celebrated for his unwavering dedication to human rights and freedom for his people. His work highlights the broader struggles faced by Southern Mongolians, including the erosion of their language, displacement from ancestral lands, and violations of cultural and political rights.

Hada’s lifelong dedication to freedom, human rights and national self-determination has garnered international recognition, culminating in his recent nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize by Japanese lawmakers. He remains a symbol of resilience, courage, and hope for the people of Southern Mongolia and an inspiration to human rights defenders around the world.

Hada on ICU bed (SMHRIC - 20250125):