Jojje OlssonOn the World Press Freedom Day, May 3, a rally for kidnapped Swedish publisher Gui Minhai will be held outside of the Chinese embassy in Stockholm.
Gui has now been in detention in China for 921 days without a trial. It is believed that he is suffering from ALS, a lethal neurone disease that leads to gradual paralysis for the patient, who on average only have between two and four years left to live after the onset of the disease.
The health condition of Gui is even more worrying since it is not likely that he have access to the best possible medical services when in Chinese custody. His daughter Angela Gui have said her father is already experiencing problems to control his fingers, as well as keep his balance when walking.
It is therefore of outmost importance that as many people as possible show up at the rally next week to show support for Gui, in order to show the Chinese authorities that its extralegal treatment of him doesn’t pass by unnoticed.
Please see below for some basic information on the rally from the organiser, translated by me from Swedish:
RALLY FOR GUI MINHAI ON THE WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen and publisher, was kidnapped by Chinese authorities 17 October 2017 during a trip to Thailand. His ”crime” is likely to be associated with his publishing of several books with content that the Chinese regime found disturbing. For two years, Gui was isolated from the surrounding world without a trial or even the possibility to meet a lawyer.
Two years later on the day, Gui was ”released”, just to be put under house arrest in his hometown of Ningbo, without the possibility to leave China. Three months after the ”release” he was kidnapped a second time, now by ten plainclothes police officers while travelling on a train in the company of two Swedish diplomats.
Since then, Gui has been paraded on Chinese state television for the third time during his time custody, now forced to denounce Swedish authorities and other individuals or organisations for continuing to demand his freedom.
Due to the extralegal treatment of Gui Minhai, a rally to his support is being arranged at the World Press Freedom Day May 3, at 12:00 midday outside the Chinese embassy in Stockholm. the embassy is located at Lidovägen 8, Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, close to the Museum of Ethnography and the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology. The embassy can be reached by bus number 69.
– Sweden should be more active in the work to secure the release of Gui Minhai. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs need to take concrete actions. In my opinion, we need to fight fire with fire. For example, the Chinese ambassador to Sweden could be expelled immediately, says author and debater Kurdo Baksi, who is arranging the rally.
Participants:
Karin Olsson, culture editor at Swedish daily Expressen
Anders Q Björkman, culture editor at Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet
Helena Giertta, chief editor of Swedish Journalist Union’s magazine
Ulrika Kärnborg, vice president at Swedish Writers’ Union
Ulrika K Engström, international secretary at Swedish PEN
Read a short article about the rally at the Swedish Journalist Union’s magazine ”Journalisten” (in Swedish).
Contact the organiser and event announcer Kurdo Baksi at kurdo.b@hotmail.com.
