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: Released
Tenzin was arrested in 2013 on unknown charges and kept in pretrial detention for over a year without access to legal resources before his trial began. He spent three and a half years in prison in connection with his song…
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Status: Detained
Uyghur scholar, poet, and writer Kerimjan Abdurehim has been detained in China since 2016 with little information available about his status. His detention was reported in 2021 by activist Abduweli Ayup who listed Abdurehim among the many jailed Uyghur intellectuals.…
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Status: Imprisoned
Mutellip Imin, a student of Ilham Tohti, was arrested for his involvement with Tohti’s website Uyghurbiz, which aimed to promote mutual understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. In 2014, he was sentenced in a secret trial to a lengthy prison…
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