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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Gongan is an online commentator with a history of defending democratic rights. He was detained in September 2022 after posting political messages on WeChat as part of a conversation with other human rights defenders. He was sentenced to 1 year…
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Abey was arrested in July 2018 on suspicion of involvement in separatism and religious extremism, and his current whereabouts are unknown. A Communist Party official, Abey had worked in writing and publishing for forty years, serving as the director of…
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Liu, an activist who runs a website circulating information on human rights abuses, was sentenced to five years in prison and severe fines in January 2019 after his initial 2016 detention. He spent over a year in prison without access…
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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
