By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia  

Chinese journalist Jia Jia is believed to be held by authorities for his connection with a published letter calling for President Xi Jinping’s resignation. Mr. Jia was likely detained on Tuesday as he boarded a flight to Hong Kong.

Mr. Jia is a freelance writer based in Beijing. He is known for his writing on topics designated as sensitive by China’s government and has critiqued corrupt officials and the Communist Party in the past. Despite his critique of the Communist Party, Mr. Jia had not previously written anything calling for a regime change.

Regardless, Mr. Jia has been accused of writing the letter, posted on a state-linked news website this month, which condemns Mr. Xi’s leadership and includes threats to Mr. Xi if he does not resign from office. It is unclear who wrote the article, which was signed only with a byline of “loyal Communist supporters.”

Mr. Jia stated before his disappearance that he did not write the letter. He did, however, warn a friend and editor at Wujie News about reposting the article on Wujie’s own website.

According to friends of Mr. Jia, he had feared detainment in connection to the letter before his disappearance. He and some of his family members were previously questioned about the letter.

There is currently no other information about Mr. Jia’s whereabouts or his detainment. His phone has been shut down, and he failed to appear to deliver a scheduled lecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong last Thursday. Beijing law enforcement officials have not responded to requests for comment on Mr. Jia’s disappearance.

Mr. Jia is one among many others who have been accused of dissent and have been detained or imprisoned by authorities. The Chinese government has detained and imprisoned a growing number of individuals since Mr. Xi came into power, including lawyers, activists, and journalists.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – China columnist Jia Jia ‘goes missing’ en route to HK – 18 March 2016

The New York Times – China Is Said to Be Holding Jia Jia, a Journalist, Over Xi Jinping Letter – 18 March 2016

CNN International – Lawyer says missing Chinese journalist Jia Jia didn’t write anti-Xi letter – 19 March 2016

Voice of America – Well-known Chinese Columnist Disappears – 17 March 2016