Thread by @JimmyGymShoes

@ChineseEmbinUS Human rights defender Yang Maodong, better known by his pen name Guo Feixiong (杨茂东，笔名郭飞雄), has been unreachable since the morning of January 29. He began an indefinite hunger strike at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, on January 28, after being

prevented from leaving the country to visit his critically ill wife in the United States. When Yang was prevented from leaving the country, he was told that he was under suspicion of “endangering national security”, yet he is currently not known to be under any criminal

investigation. Authorities had told Yang that they would only allow him to travel if he would first make an “agreement” with officials from the Ministry of Public Security in Hubei. It is not clear as to what the nature of the “agreement” is, but possibly a tactic to stop him

from continuing his human rights activism. According to international human rights law and standards, everyone is free to leave any country, including one’s own. Reasons for restrictive measures must be provided in the rare individual case and not merely based on a generic

allegation. As it is currently impossible to make contact with Yang Maodong, his health and safety may be at risk. One should always assume that anytime a prisoner is held incommunicado, or is disappeared, that they are being tortured, or worse.

China should allow Yang

Maodong to leave China and lift any arbitrary restrictions being imposed on him. It is cruel to prevent him from visiting his gravely ill wife.

@threadreaderapp unroll