China
The Chinese government is the world’s leading jailer of writers and public intellectuals. Writers, journalists, bloggers, and creative artists face censorship, harassment, imprisonment, and enforced disappearance because of their writing or creative expression.
What You Need to Know
More than 100 writers are currently behind bars on politicized charges in China. The majority were jailed for online expression that was critical of official policies or expressed pro-democracy viewpoints.
China’s leader Xi Jinping has overseen an extensive crackdown on free expression that has included attempted cultural and linguistic destruction targeting Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Mongolians and other ethnic minorities elevating to potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and the crushing of civil and political rights in Hong Kong.
As China’s economic and political strength has increased, the Chinese Communist Party has also expanded its censorship apparatus overseas to try and limit expression about China beyond its borders, engage in transnational repression against exiles and the diaspora, and erode international human rights norms.
News
Individual Cases
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Status: Imprisoned
A human rights lawyer and online activist, Yongpei is serving a 5 year sentence on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” Yongpei was first detained in October 2019 after a series of social media posts deemed “pro-democracy” and “politically…
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Status: Imprisoned
After seven months in pretrial detention, on December 28, 2020, a court sentenced Zhang, a citizen journalist covering COVID-19, to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble.” The indictment cites her reporting and overseas interviews. Zhang…
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Status: Released
Tai is a legal scholar and public intellectual who wrote foundational political pieces on democracy. He was convicted on politically-motivated public nuisance charges and served 4 months of his 16-month sentence in April 2019 related to the Occupy Central protests.…
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Status: Released
A Tibetan monk, Ngawang led the Drepung printing group, secret producer of pro-independence literature in the late ’80s. Upon discovery of the group, Ngawang was sentenced to 19 years in prison where he suffered torture and inhumane treatment. He was…
Reports & Research
Addressing Beijing’s assault on free expression and defending human rights standards globally is a key priority.
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Writing on the Wall
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Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing
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Forbidden Feeds
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Splintered Speech
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Darkened Screen
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Censorship and Conscience
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Threatened Harbor
Experts
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