Journalist Guo was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 10-year sentence for publishing a series of articles titled “Herald of Democracy,” which criticized the government. In February 2020, he was re-detained on charges of “incitement to subvert state power” following his critical comments about China’s COVID-19 pandemic policies. During his trial in September 2021, his previous writings were used as evidence. In December 2022, he was sentenced to four years in prison. Guo was released on January 30, 2024.