On 15 October 2025, The Rights Practice, and 89 other NGOs, issued a joint statement to strongly condemn the Chinese government's ongoing arbitrary detention of Swedish publisher and writer Gui Minhai on the 10th anniversary of his kidnapping.

On 17 October 2015, Gui Minhai, a founder of Hong Kong publishing house, was kidnapped by Chinese authorities in Thailand. In February 2020, he was sentenced to ten years in prison by the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court on the alleged charge of “illegally providing intelligence to foreign countries,” which is regularly used to silence journalists and human rights defenders.

Details of his imprisonment have been kept hidden for the past five years. Gui Minhai has been denied access to his family and to consular support from the Swedish Embassy. His daughter has not been informed of his whereabouts since the date of the verdict. His current place of detention remains unknown, despite repeated requests by his daughter.

Despite persistent calls from the international community for the immediate release of Gui Minhai, the Chinese government continues to ignore the urgency of the matter. His arbitrary detention makes a mockery of China’s international human rights obligations. Gui Minhai has committed no internationally recognised offence, yet has been subjected to harsh punishment solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

We urge the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release Gui Minhai. We also include recommendations for the Swedish government and Thai authorities, as well as the European External Action Service, the European Commission and Member States.

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