Paris, May 26 (IANS) A leading international press freedom organisation has called on the international community to ensure full freedom for Chinese journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin, who is set to be released on September 18 this year after spending nearly five years behind bars — all for her reporting on gender-based violence and human rights violations in China.
Expressing grave concerns, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that Sophia would still face deprivation of political rights, including movement restrictions and close surveillance by the Chinese authorities.
Describing China as the world’s “largest jailer of news professionals,” with 121 currently behind bars, the group said that Sophia, has endured abusive conditions during her imprisonment that have severely damaged her health.
“Sophia’s sentence will be completed on 18 September 2026, with the days she was detained prior to the court’s verdict deducted. However, she will be deprived of her political rights for an additional four years, prohibited from her right to freedom of the press, freedom of movement including travelling abroad, and placed under surveillance by the authorities. For people like Sophia, leaving prison does not mean regaining freedom. It often means moving from a small prison to a larger one,” the RSF quoted her friend as saying.
According to the RSF, Sophia was first arrested in October 2019 in China’s Guangzhou city and detained for three months on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” linked to her coverage of Hong Kong protests, during which she condemned the authorities’ violent repression of the demonstrations. She was later released on bail without any charges being filed.
Sophia was re-arrested by the Guangzhou police in September 2021, under the charge of “inciting subversion of state power”. The RSF cited her friends stating that she has been behind bars since then and the authorities have subjected her to harsh interrogation methods, including the use of the “tiger chair”, a “notorious torture device.”
Earlier on June 14, 2024, Sophia was sentenced to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power”.
“Despite sustained persecution, Sophia Huang Xueqin embodies the spirit of journalism by transforming the injustices she has witnessed into stories that can drive real change. Her case stands out for her astounding ability to speak truth to power, but fits into a terrible pattern: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) systematically seeks to silence hardworking, trustworthy journalists for exposing the darkest aspects of life in Chinese society,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia-Pacific.
“We urge the diplomatic community to remain vigilant in monitoring Sophia Huang Xueqin’s situation and to keep her safety high on the agenda in their relations with Beijing, sending a clear message that viciously stifling journalists has its consequences. She must regain her full freedom upon completing her unjust sentence,” she added.
–IANS
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