What changed

B10 0414/2025

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

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

(2025/2906(RSP))

The European Parliament,

INSERTMSGhaving regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation of human rights in China,

A. whereas Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen of Chinese origin, disappeared in Thailand on 17 October 2015; whereas his abduction was part of a broader crackdown by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against Hong Kong–based publishers and bookseller, such as the Mighty Current, a publishing house investigating into PRC politics, of which Gui is among the founders;

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

B. whereas in 2020 Gui received a 10-year sentence for “illegally providing intelligence to foreign countries”; whereas no information on Gui’s whereabouts was given ever since and he has been denied all contact with his family and even consular support from Sweden; whereas he’s long been in very precarious health conditions;

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;

C. whereas international due process standards, and PRC’s obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations have been violated in Gui’s case, inter alia through forced confession and renouncement of his Swedish nationality, in violation of Sweden’s sovereign rights;

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;

D. Whereas extraterritorial abduction and repression by PRC authorities has become a widespread practice;

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

E. whereas China is ranked 178th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 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;

1. Strongly condemns the enforced disappearance of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, and urges the PRC to immediately and unconditionally release him, as well as all other arbitrarily detained journalists and publishers;

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

2. Urges the PRC to immediately allow Gui to communicate with his daughter freely and receive independent medical support, independent legal aid and Sweden’s consular support;

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;

3. Urges the EEAS, Commission and Member States (MS), particularly Sweden, to raise the case of Gui Minhai in all dialogues with Chinese authorities and demand from PRC his unconditional and immediate release, as well as information on his conditions and whereabouts; Further calls on the EEAS, Commission and MS to raise press freedom and the release of all detained journalists among the key issues in EU-China relations;

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;

4. Urges the EEAS, Commission and MS to demand from the PRC the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Sakharov Prize Laurate Ilham Tohti and pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, Uyghur ethnographer Rahile Dawut, “Bridge Man” Peng Lifa, Human rights lawyers Gao Zhisheng, Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi, among others; expresses the concern that the PRC has been increasingly denying trial monitoring rights to EU and MS representatives;

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;

5. Is concerned that PRC authorities increasingly resort to transnational repression to target those who have fled persecution or continue working from abroad; urges MS to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC;

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

6. Calls on the EU and its MS to continue to confront PRC’ human rights abuses at the UN Human Rights Council;

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;

7. Condemns that the PRC has not yet ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

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;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the PRC Government.

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

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.