On 10th anniversary of the detention of jailed Swedish publisher Gui Minhai in China

B100412/2025

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,

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

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”;

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

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;

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

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;

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

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;

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

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

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;

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;

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

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;

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