What changed

B100435/2025

B10 0414/2025

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

The European Parliament,

havingINSERTMSGhaving regard to its previous resolutionsRule on150 theof People’sits RepublicRules of China (PRC)Procedure,

having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

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;

Whereas Gui Minhai, a Hong Kong-Swedish citizen, publisher, and co-founder of the Hong Kong-based Mighty Current publishing house and its bookshop, publishing and selling works critical of China’s Communist leaders, was abducted in Thailand in October 2015 and later appeared in Chinese custody, allegedly confessing under duress to past criminal charges;

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;

Whereas four of his colleagues also disappeared at various moments in October 2015, who were all gradually released in the subsequent months;

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;

Whereas Gui Minhai was released in 2017 but was again detained by Chinese authorities in January 2018 while traveling with Swedish diplomats;

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

Whereas in February 2020, Gui Minhai was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Chinese court in Ningbo on charges of "illegally providing intelligence" to foreign entities, a charge widely viewed as politically motivated and lacking transparency; whereas since 2020 his whereabouts are unknown;

E. whereas China is ranked 178th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2025 World Press Freedom Index;

Whereas Gui Minhai has reportedly been denied access to independent legal counsel, consular support, and adequate medical care, in violation of international law and diplomatic norms;

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;

Whereas his case is emblematic of the Chinese government's broader crackdown on freedom of expression, academic freedom, and human rights, including in Hong Kong;

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;

Strongly condemns the continued detention and sentencing of Gui Minhai and calls for his immediate and unconditional release;

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;

Urges the Chinese authorities to respect its international human rights obligations, by granting Gui Minhai consular visits and the right to medical treatment and to reveal his whereabouts;

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;

Calls on the EU and its Member State raise Gui Minhai’s case, as well as all other individual cases of European citizens imprisoned in China, including dual nationals, at all levels of engagement with China, including through bilateral dialogues and multilateral forums;

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 the Council to consider targeted restrictive measuresEU underand theits EUMS Globalto Humancontinue Rightsto Sanctionsconfront RegimePRC’ againsthuman officialsrights responsibleabuses forat Guithe Minhai’sUN detentionHuman andRights ill-treatment;Council;

Expresses concern about the ongoing deterioration of human rights and the rule of law in the PRC, including in Hong Kong, and in particular the targeting of individuals exercising their right to freedom of expression;

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

Reaffirms its unwavering support for all those fighting for freedom of expression and human rights in the PRC and Hong Kong;

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.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EEAS, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China,