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Missing mainland citizen journalist Chen Qiushi is under house arrest, friend says

蘋果日報 2020/09/19 06:05


Mainland lawyer, activist and citizen journalist Chen Qiushi, who went missing in February after reporting on the Hong Kong protests and the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, is now under house arrest, according to a friend.
Prosecutors decided not to charge Chen with any offenses, but the Beijing-based lawyer is being closely watched by the authorities, mixed martial artist Xu Xiaodong, a friend of Chen, said during a live-stream on YouTube on Thursday.
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Xu didn’t say where Chen was, only that the lawyer isn’t being detained in his own home. Chen’s communications have been cut off and his movements restricted, Xu said.
In late January, Chen traveled to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the first COVID-19 infections were recorded. He posted videos on YouTube and Twitter showing long lines outside hospitals and wards crowded with frail patients.
“We have gathered enough evidence to prove that Wuhan’s medical, first-aid and funeral services have already been overloaded,” Chen tweeted On Feb. 4.
Two days later, Chen’s mother said in a video that she was unable to contact her son.
Chen visited Hong Kong in August last year and reported on the protests gripping the city.
At least three other citizen journalists landed in trouble after reporting on the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. Fang Bin has been missing since early this year. Li Zehua revealed that he was forced into compulsory quarantine. Zhang Zhan was arrested by Shanghai police for allegedly instigating disturbances in June. Radio Free Asia reported early this month that Zhang was in poor shape after starting a hunger strike in detention.
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