Writers at Risk Database

Shi Tao

April 28, 2020

In 2005, Shi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking a Communist Party document to an overseas Chinese website over Yahoo email. Yahoo was criticized by the… More

Yang Shaozheng

Yang Shaozheng

April 28, 2020

In 2017, Guizhou University fired professor Yang over his “politically sensitive” academic writings. In June 2021, Yang was charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and detained after disappearing… More

Writers at Risk Database

Liu Xiaobo

April 28, 2020

A pro-democracy activist and writer, Liu was arrested in 2009, charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2010 for penning seven… More

Dong Rubin Bianmin

April 28, 2020

After posting critical comments against Chinese authorities about alleged corruption, Dong was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July 2014. Dong had predicted his arrest,… More

Writers at Risk Database

Guo Quan

April 28, 2020

Guo was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 10-year sentence for a series of articles titled “Herald of Democracy.” He was re-detained in February 2020 on charges… More

Hu Shigen

April 28, 2020

A freelance writer, Hu was detained arbitrarily in July 2015; police did not answer his family’s enquiries as to his whereabouts. He was formally arrested in January 2016 on… More

Jin Andi

April 28, 2020

After assisting between 2000 and 2010 in the editing and publication of articles critical of Jiang Zemin, the former Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Jin was sentenced to… More

Li Bifeng

April 28, 2020

In 2012, Li was convicted of contract fraud, though it is likely that he was targeted in retaliation for his peaceful activism and links with exiled writers. On April… More

Li Tie

April 28, 2020

Li was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2012 for ‘subversion of state power’ after writing critical online essays and pro-democracy leaning works. He did not have a… More

Liu Xianbin

April 28, 2020

For writing articles calling for political reform, Liu was searched and arrested in June 2010 and sentenced to ten years in prison where he was reportedly forced to labor… More

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