Sweden Demands Release of Publisher Gui Minhai as Imprisonment Reaches Ten Years

On October 17, 2025, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard reiterated Sweden's demand for the release of Gui Minhai during her visit to Beijing. Gui Minhai, a Chinese-Swedish publisher, has been imprisoned in China for ten years following his disappearance in Thailand in 2015. He was sentenced in 2020 to ten years in prison on allegations of providing intelligence to foreign powers. Malmer Stenergard discussed the case with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, emphasizing that Gui Minhai's continued detention remains a major barrier to improved Sweden-China relations. Despite diplomatic efforts and protests, Gui remains incarcerated without a fair trial, apart from brief release periods such as a few months in 2017.

In parallel, the Swedish publishing industry united to mark the decade of Gui's imprisonment with a digital manifestation calling for his freedom. The Swedish Publishers' Association, through Melina Nordstrand, stressed the importance of ongoing protests to defend freedom of expression and publishing rights. Artist Sven Nordqvist contributed by creating a portrait depicting Gui Minhai as a symbol of courage against censorship and wrongful imprisonment.

This advocacy coincides with a positive development announced by Malmer Stenergard: China will permit visa-free short stays for Swedish citizens, easing travel for businesses. This diplomatic visit is the first by a Swedish foreign minister to China since 2014, highlighting the case of Gui Minhai as a key diplomatic challenge. The Swedish government continues to push for his release amid ongoing tensions tied to his imprisonment.