Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Dec. 27 called on the Chinese government to immediately release [9] Liu Hanbin, a blogger who was arrested one month earlier following his publication of information regarding a protest by farmers against forced land seizures. RSF's Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani stated:
Chinese blogger Liu Hanbin was only serving the public interest by shedding light on abuses linked to land seizures, and should never be detained, let alone denied the right to meet with his lawyer. We call on the international community to build up pressure on the Chinese authorities to secure Liu's release alongside the 124 other journalists and press freedom defenders detained in the country.
The organization condemned Liu's detention as part of a broader pattern [12] of repression against journalists and activists in China. The incident marked Liu as the 125th journalist currently detained by the Chinese authorities, raising significant concerns [13] about freedom of expression in the country.
Liu, who blogs under the name Wen Yi Fan, was taken into custody after he posted a video on social media platform WeChat reporting on a protest by farmers in a rural area of Inner Mongolia province against land confiscations by government officials. His coverage focused the grievances of these farmers, who claimed that their land was being seized without adequate compensation or prior consultation. The protest was met with a swift response from local authorities, leading to Liu's arrest. The 52-year-old blogger has been charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," an offense punishable by up to five years in prison.
From JURIST [14], Dec. 27. Used with permission.
See our last reports on the land seizures [15] and crackdown on dissent [16] in China.
See our last report on the land struggle [17] in Inner Mongolia.
