【聯合聲明】公民社會團體針對中國政府任意拘禁瑞典籍出版人桂民海之聯合聲明

公民社會團體針對中國政府任意拘禁瑞典籍出版人桂民海之聯合聲明
 

我們，即以下聯署之新聞自由、記者與人權組織，在今天，也就是桂民海遭到綁架的第十周年，強烈譴責中國政府持續地任意拘禁瑞典籍出版人桂民海之行為。
2015年10月17日，桂民海 ― 香港出版社的創辦人之一，在泰國遭到中國當局綁架。2020年2月，寧波市中級人民法院以｢向境外非法提供情報｣之名向他判處十年徒刑。而此項控訴即為中國政府用來禁聲記者與人權捍衛者的常用手段。
有關桂民海被關押的細節在過去五年間被持續隱瞞。至今他仍被剝奪與其家屬聯繫、瑞典駐華使館人員協助的權利。其女自判決日之後，便再也無法取得父親的下落，儘管多次提出請求，他目前的關押地點仍然不明。中華人民共和國政府拒絕說明其所在位置的行為，使桂民海的身心狀況更加令外界堪憂。
自桂民海被定罪以來，瑞典政府曾多次要求釋放擁有本國籍的桂民海。然而，中國當局堅稱桂民海自願｢放棄上訴｣並主動｢恢復中國國籍｣。惟根據瑞典法律規定，放棄或恢復國籍必須經過瑞典移民署的正式審查與決定。中國政府強制恢復桂民海中國籍之行為已然違反國際法與瑞典的國家主權。桂民海遭捕時僅持有瑞典國籍。而中國官方過去聲稱｢外籍護照無法保護於中國出生者｣，此言論公然違背了⟪維也納公約⟫。
桂民海第二次被捕時，正前往北京的瑞典使館接受醫師檢查。他被檢查出從泰國引渡回中國前未曾出現過的神經系統症狀。
被拘禁期間，桂民海曾被迫進行兩次｢電視認罪｣，此行為進一步顯示他所面對的程序非法性。而中國當局以此作法聞名，這不僅傷害了人性尊嚴，更加違反了中國憲法所保障的｢無罪推定｣原則。
桂民海一案象徵中國政府對批判言論的全面打壓，這是自習近平於2012年掌權以來，持續增價地，對資訊自由的打壓浪潮之一。根據無國界記者(RSF)在2025年的⟪世界新聞自由指數⟫，中國在180個國家中位列第178名。同時據無國界記者(RSF)與美國筆會(PEN America)所提供之資訊，中國為全球囚禁記者與作家人數最多的國家。而在 Article 19 的⟪全球表現報告⟫(Global Expression Report)中，中國則被標示為｢極度危險 (In Crisis)｣。
桂民海事件並非個案，中國當局系統性地以｢國家安全｣的名義起訴人權捍衛者、出版人、作家與記者，甚至將此迫害行為延伸至境外，在鄰國間展開警務行動，第三國政府則往往默許異議人士在領土內遭受壓迫。
中國境內針於記者與任何批評政府之人的限制急遽緊縮的情況，已經明顯違反了⟪世界人權宣言⟫第十九條與⟪中華人民共和國憲法⟫第三十五條中所保障之言論與新聞自由權。
儘管國際社會體一再呼籲立即釋放桂民海，中國政府仍然無視此情事之急迫性。這包括在2024年11月，聯合國人權理事會以九項特別程序共同發出之正式通知，關注中國｢重複性壓迫模式｣，包含:秘密拘禁、強迫失蹤等限制言論自由的手段，並要求中國官方說明涵蓋桂民海在內的多位人士的下落與情況。桂民海未曾犯下國際公認的罪刑，只因為行使其言論自由便遭受嚴酷懲罰，如此行徑已然使得中國在國際人權義務上的承諾淪為空談。

為此，我們強烈呼籲中國政府:

• 立即且無條件地釋放桂民海；
• 保障桂民海的人身安全與心理健康，提供充分且獨立的醫療照護，並定期公開其所在位置與拘押地點；
• 允許桂民海使用包含視訊通話在內之方式自由聯繫其女兒 ― Angela Gui，與其他家庭成員；
• 停止對公民社會的系統性打壓，包含:騷擾、任意拘禁、強迫失蹤，以及針對出版人、記者與人權捍衛者的鎮壓行動。

強烈呼籲瑞典政府:

• 在公開場合以及雙邊會議(包含高層會議)中，呼籲立即釋放桂民海，並強調此舉符合⟪中華人民共和國憲法⟫，該憲法禁止非法拘禁並保障個人尊嚴；
• 要求中國當局公開當事人下落以及保障其能夠獲得全面地領事協助與領事探視權益；
• 明確告知中國當局若持續非法與任意拘禁桂民海，將對瑞典―中國雙邊關係產生嚴重的政治後果，並將所有經濟合作與桂民海的釋放掛勾。

強烈呼籲歐洲對外事務部(EEAS):

• 急切呼籲立即且無條件地釋放桂民海，要求公開其下落，並明確傳達若不遵從將對其雙邊關係產生嚴重的政治後果；
• 倡議釋放被任意拘禁之記者、作家與人權捍衛者，包含在高層會議中公開呼籲釋放具名人士；
• 密切關注中國人權狀況，包括進行監獄探訪、審判監察與定期公開申明；
• 將國際法執法互動與法治合作與中國政府掛勾，要求中方撤銷所有針對和平行駛或倡導人權(包含新聞自由與資訊權利)之被拘禁者的指控與定罪；
• 提醒中國遵守其國際義務，尊重新聞自由與資訊權利等中國政府已簽署、由⟪世界人權宣言⟫第十九條以及⟪中華人民共和國憲法⟫第三十五條所保障之權利；
• 建立安全庇護警示系統，提供一個簡易、便利的管道予受到跨國壓迫的中國出版人、作家、記者與人權捍衛者，使其得以與警方及移民官員連繫。

強烈呼籲泰國當局:

• 釐清桂民海從泰國被非法引渡至中國之過程予情況；
• 立即停止一切在協助中方於泰國境內打壓迫害人權捍衛者、記者與新聞自由倡議者的行動；
• 停止將中國人權捍衛者與記者遣返中國，遵守泰國所應承擔之｢不遣返｣(Non-refoulement)原則。

Joint Statement from Civil Society Groups on the Chinese Government’s Arbitrary Detention of Swedish publisher Gui Minhai

We, the undersigned press freedom, journalists’, human rights, international organisations, strongly condemn the Chinese government's ongoing arbitrary detention of Swedish publisher and writer Gui Minhai on the 10th anniversary of his kidnapping.

On 17 October 2015, Gui Minhai, a founder of Hong Kong publishing house, was kidnapped by Chinese authorities in Thailand. In February 2020, he was sentenced to ten years in prison by the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court on the alleged charge of “illegally providing intelligence to foreign countries,” which is regularly used to silence journalists and human rights defenders.

Details of his imprisonment have been kept hidden for the past five years. Gui Minhai has been denied access to his family and to consular support from the Swedish Embassy. His daughter has not been informed of his whereabouts since the date of the verdict. His current place of detention remains unknown, despite repeated requests by his daughter. The Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has failed to clarify his whereabouts, further raising concerns about his physical and mental condition.

Since Mr. Gui's conviction, Sweden has demanded the release of its citizen. However, Chinese authorities insisted that Mr. Gui had chosen not to appeal the sentence and that he had his Chinese citizenship reinstated at his own request. Under Swedish law, citizenship can only be renounced following an examination and a formal decision by the Swedish Migration Agency. The PRC’s coerced restoration of Mr. Gui’s Chinese nationality constitutes a violation of international law as well as Sweden's sovereign rights. At the time of his arrest, Gui Minhai held only Swedish citizenship. In the past, Chinese officials have stated that foreign passports do not protect individuals who were born in the PRC, an interpretation that blatantly violates the Vienna Convention.

Mr. Gui was re-arrested while on his way to the Swedish Embassy in Beijing to be examined by a Swedish physician. He suffers from neurological symptoms that were not present before he was first taken into custody, after being rendered from Thailand to the PRC under unclear circumstances.

Throughout his detention, Gui Minhai has twice been subjected to televised forced confessions, further raising concerns about the legality of the proceedings against him. Chinese authorities are notorious for this practice, which undermines human dignity and violates the presumption of innocence that is supposedly guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.

The Gui Minhai case is emblematic of the Chinese regime's campaign of repression against critical voices, as part of an escalating crackdown on the right to information since Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. China ranks 178th out of 180 in the 2025 Reporters without Borders (RSF)’s World Press Freedom Index, and is the world’s leading jailer of journalists and writers, according to data from RSF, and PEN America. It ranks ‘in crisis’ in ARTICLE 19’s Global Expression Report. 

Mr. Gui’s case is not an isolated one. Chinese authorities have systematically invoked “national security” as a pretext to prosecute human rights defenders, writers, publishers, and journalists—extending their reach beyond the PRC’s borders by launching police operations in neighboring countries—while the governments of third countries have bluntly allowed the repression of dissidents within their territories.

Domestically, restrictions on journalists and others who speak out against government abuses have tightened drastically, in direct contradiction of the right to freedom of expression and press guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution.

Despite persistent calls from the international community for the immediate release of Gui Minhai, the Chinese government continues to ignore the urgency of the matter. This includes a November 2024 Communication from nine Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council concerning a recurring pattern of repression, including incommunicado detention and enforced disappearances, aimed at restricting the freedom of expression, which called for information on the fate and whereabouts of Gui Minhai, among others. His arbitrary detention makes a mockery of China’s international human rights obligations. Gui Minhai has committed no internationally recognized offence, yet has been subjected to harsh punishment solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

We urge the Chinese government to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release Gui Minhai;

• Guarantee Gui Minhai’s safety, psychological well-being, provide adequate and independent medical care, and share regular updates on his whereabouts and current place of detention;

• Allow him unhindered access to contact with his daughter, Angela Gui, and other family members, including through video calls;

• End the systemic crackdown on civil society, including harassment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of publishers, journalists, writers, and human rights defenders.

We urge the Swedish government to:

• Publicly and in bilateral meetings—including high-level meetings—call for the immediate release of Gui Minhai, in compliance with the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, which prohibits unlawful detention and guarantees personal dignity;

• Demand transparency regarding his whereabouts and ensure full access to consular support and regular consular visits;

• Clearly communicate to Chinese authorities that continued unlawful and arbitrary detention of Gui Minhai will have serious political consequences for bilateral relations, and condition any economic collaboration on his release.

We urge the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, and the Member States to:

• Urge the immediate and unconditional release of Gui Minhai, demand transparency on his whereabouts, and communicate that opposite actions will have serious political consequences for bilateral relations;

• Advocate for the release of arbitrarily detained journalists, writers, and human rights defenders, including using high-level meetings to publicly call for the release of specific individuals by name;

• Closely monitor the human rights situation in China, including through prison visits, trial monitoring, and regular public statements;

• Condition international law enforcement interactions and rule of law cooperation with the Chinese government on the government’s dropping all charges and quashing all convictions against those wrongfully detained for peacefully exercising or advocating human rights, including press freedom and right to information;

• Reminding China of its international obligations to respect press freedom and the right to information, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which China has signed, and Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution;

• Establish safe refuge alert systems to provide a direct and easy-to-use communication with the police or immigration officers for Chinese publishers, writers, journalists and human rights defenders who are under the threat of transnational repression. 

We urge Thai authorities to:

• Clarify the circumstances surrounding the unlawful rendition of Gui Minhai from Thailand to the People’s Republic of China;

• Immediately cease all actions that facilitate the repression and persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, and advocates of press freedom by the PRC within Thailand;

• End the deportation of Chinese human rights defenders and journalists to China, in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement, to which Thailand is bound.

Signatories:

1. ACAT-France

2. AlterMidya

3. Amnesty International Australia

4. ARTICLE 19

5. Asia Freedom Institute

6. Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ)

7. Aus-Hong Kong Connex Inc.

8. Bay Area Friends of Tibet

9. Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)

10. CamboJA

11. Campaign for Uyghurs

12. Center for Uyghur Studies

13. China Against the Death Penalty (CADP)

14. China Aid Association (ChinaAid)

15. China Rights in Action (CRA)

16. Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

17. Comité de Apoyo al Tíbet (CAT), Spain

18. Covenants Watch

19. European Values Center for Security Policy Taiwan Office

20. Fortify Rights

21. Freedom House

22. Freiheit für Hongkong e.V.

23. Georgetown Center for Asian Law

24. Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM)

25. Global Alliance for TIbet & Persecuted Minorities

26. Globe International Center

27. GreatFire

28. Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete-Portugal

29. Hong Kong Committee in Norway

30. Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)

31. Hong Kong Media Overseas

32. Hong Kong Outlanders in Taiwan

33. Hong Kong Watch

34. Hongkonger in Deutschland e. V.

35. Hongkongers in Britain (HKB)

36. Human Rights Foundation

37. Human Rights in China

38. Humanitarian China

39. Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC)

40. Index on Censorship

41. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

42. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

43. Lady Liberty Hong Kong

44. Legal Initiatives for Vietnam

45. Media Diversity Institute

46. National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)

47. New Bloom

48. New Zealand Alliance for Victims of the Chinese Communist Regime

49. Northern California Hong Kong Club

50. Overseas Press Club of Cambodia (OPCC)

51. Peace Catalyst International

52. PEN America

53. PEN International

54. PEN Nederland

55. Prachatai

56. Reading UK Stands with Hong Kong

57. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

58. Safeguard Defenders

59. Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet

60. Scottish Hongkongers

61. Solidarité Chine

62. Students for a Free Tibet

63. Svensk Bokhandel

64. Swedish Media Publishers’ Association

65. Swedish PEN

66. Taiwan Association for Human Rights

67. Taiwan Economic Democracy Union

68. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

69. The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

70. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

71. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

72. The European Hong Kong Diaspora Alliance

73. The Hong Kong Scots

74. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

75. The Nest Center for Journalism Innovation and Development

76. The Rights Practice

77. The Swedish Publishers Association

78. The Swedish Tibet Committee

79. The Swedish Union of Journalists

80. The Tibet Support Committee, Denmark

81. Tibet Initiative Deutschland e. V.

82. Tibet Solidarity

83. Tibet Support Group Ireland

84. US Hongkongers Club

85. Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP)

86. Uyghur PEN Centre

87. Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

88. Victoria Hongkongers Association (Australia)

89. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

90. World Uyghur Congress