What changed

B100412/2025

P10_TA(2025)0225

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on 10th anniversary of the detention of jailed Swedish publisher Gui Minhai in China

(2025/2906(RSP))

PE776.251

European Parliament resolution of 9 October 2025 on the 10th anniversary of the detention of jailed Swedish publisher Gui Minhai in China (2025/2906(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Ruleits 150(5)previous ofresolutions itson Rulesthe situation of Procedure,human rights in China,

Whereas Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen of Chinese origin, was abducted on 17 October 2015, in Thailand and transferred to China; whereas in February 2020 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court, - during a closed-door hearing - on the charge of “illegally providing intelligence to foreign countries”;

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas since the verdict, his place of detention remains unknown and Gui Minhai has been denied all contact with his family and consular support;

A. whereas Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, publisher and co-owner of the Mighty Current publishing house in Hong Kong, known for publishing works critical of the Chinese leadership, was abducted in Thailand in October 2015 and subsequently detained in China; whereas his abduction was part of a broader crackdown by China against Hong Kong-based publishers;

whereas at the time of his arrest, Minhai held only Swedish nationality, since the PRC does not recognize dual citizenship; whereas following Gui’s conviction, Chinese authorities claimed he had renounced Swedish nationality and reinstated his Chinese citizenship;

B. whereas in February 2020, a Chinese court sentenced Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison on charges of ‘illegally providing intelligence abroad’, after a secret and unfair trial; whereas he has been denied proper legal representation and access to Swedish consular services; whereas his current whereabouts are still unknown;

whereas he is the only EU-citizen publisher/activist currently detained in China;

C. whereas Gui Minhai continues to be denied family contact, raising serious concerns about his state of health after a decade of detention;

whereas Gui’s ongoing detention is not an isolated case, at least 120 journalists are currently detained; whereas the PRC is ranked 178th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2025 World Press Freedom Index;

1. Reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Gui Minhai; notes with deep concern the forthcoming tenth anniversary of his abduction and detention, and reiterates its strongest condemnation of his abduction, arbitrary arrest, detention and sentencing;

Condemns the abduction, ongoing detention and sentencing of Swedish national Gui Minhai, and calls for his immediate release;

2. Expresses solidarity with Gui Minhai’s family, in particular with his daughter Angela Gui, who continues to advocate tirelessly for his release;

Requires Gui Minhai´s case be reviewed with full procedural guarantees and the right to a fair trial, including protection against forced confessions and torture;

3. Stresses that the denial of consular access to Gui Minhai constitutes a violation of China’s obligations under the Vienna Convention; expresses serious concern about Gui Minhai’s health and treatment in detention; calls on the Chinese authorities to allow him immediate access to independent medical care of his own choosing, as well as unhindered access to his family, a legal representative of his choice and consular officials;

Denounces that, since the judgment was rendered against him, no information has been provided regarding either the place of his detention or the conditions under which he is being held, and he has been denied all contact with his family as well as access to consular assistance;

4. Stresses that this case exemplifies the pattern of systemic and transnational repression, censorship and violations of fundamental freedoms seen in China, including against lawyers, journalists, artists, human rights defenders, ethnic and religious minorities, and foreign citizens;

Urges Chinese authorities to provide clear and publicly accessible information on Gui Minhai’s health and detention conditions, given reports of serious health deterioration;

5. Underlines that mutual trust and respect for human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, press freedom and the right to publish, should be at the core of EU-China relations;

Requests to guarantee medical assistance, and the protection of Gui Minhai's rights in accordance with international human rights standards;

6. Calls on China to end the censorship, harassment and intimidation of publishers, writers, journalists and academics;

Urges to ensure Minhai's right to maintain regular contact with his family, in accordance with international human rights standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules); highlights that such contact is essential to safeguarding his dignity, well-being, and the protection of family life;

7. Urges the Chinese authorities to end the practice of arbitrary detention and forced confessions, and to immediately release all those detained for exercising fundamental freedoms, including lawyers, journalists, artists, minority representatives and human rights defenders;

Demands that Chinese authorities fully respect Gui Minhai's right to receive consular assistance from Sweden and the EU, according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations;

8. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to continue raising his case at all levels of EU-China relations, ensure the protection of EU citizens abroad, and urge China to release Gui Minhai and provide information on his condition and whereabouts;

Highlights that only the Swedish Migration Agency can process a citizenship renunciation;

9. Strongly urges China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Urge China's authorities to respect freedom of expression and the independence of editors, publishers, journalists, and human rights defenders, in line with 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;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the EU Member States, and the Government and National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and the Parliament of the People’s Republic of China