China has sentenced Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai (桂民海) to 10 years in prison on charges of illegally providing intelligence abroad and claimed him as a citizen, prompting Stockholm to call for his release in a case that has rattled diplomatic relations.
Gui, one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for publishing salacious titles about Chinese political leaders, was snatched by Chinese authorities while on a train to Beijing in February 2018, the second time he disappeared into Chinese custody.
The court in the eastern city of Ningbo said Chinese-born Gui was convicted to 10 years in prison on Monday and claimed that he voluntarily reinstated his Chinese citizenship in 2018.
Photo: AP
Since China does not recognize dual citizenship, “China, according to law, only recognizes him as a Chinese citizen,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) said yesterday.
However, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde said in a statement to reporters that Stockholm continues to call for Gui’s release and “demand access to our citizen to give him the consular support he has the right to.”
The Swedish foreign ministry said that citizenship can “only be renounced after an examination and a decision by the Swedish Migration Agency.”
“Gui Minhai is a Swedish citizen,” it said, adding that it “notes” the Chinese claim.
Gui first vanished in 2015 while on holiday in Thailand and eventually surfaced at an undisclosed location in China, confessing to involvement in a fatal traffic accident and smuggling illegal books.
He served two years in prison, but three months after his October 2017 release, he was again arrested on a train to Beijing while traveling with Swedish diplomats.
His supporters and family have claimed his detention is part of a political repression campaign orchestrated by Chinese authorities.
The Ningbo court also sentenced Gui to five years of “deprivation of political rights” — which in practice means he cannot lead state-owned enterprises or hold positions in state organs.
A video released by China three weeks after Gui’s disappearance showed him purportedly confessing wrongdoing and blaming Sweden for “sensationalizing” his case and “instigating” law-breaking behavior.
Gui’s friend, dissident poet Bei Ling (貝嶺), said at the time that Gui’s confession was likely made under coercion.
The Ningbo court’s decision to highlight Gui’s citizenship was “obviously politically motivated” and intended to “stop the Swedish government from offering any support to Gui Minhai,” Amnesty International researcher Patrick Poon told reporters.
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