Free China

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2026

WASHINGTON — Free China Movement today called for publication of the court judgment, full appeal and counsel protections, and the release of Beijing journalist, writer and independent documentary filmmaker Du Bin (杜斌) if his conviction is based on peaceful reporting, writing or political commentary.

Rights Network reported on September 1 that Du Bin was sentenced on August 28 to 18 months in prison. Minsheng Watch separately reported an 18-month first-instance sentence.

Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders previously documented Du Bin’s October 15, 2025 detention and his record as a journalist and documentary filmmaker.

The current Free China review did not locate a publicly available court judgment or official sentencing notice. Accordingly, the reported 18-month sentence is attributed to Rights Network and Minsheng Watch rather than presented as an independently verified court record.

“No journalist should lose eighteen months of liberty for peaceful reporting, writing or political commentary. The judgment and legal basis should be made public and independently scrutinized. If this conviction rests on protected expression rather than genuine criminal conduct, it should be reversed and Du Bin should be released.”

Free China Movement

Du Bin’s work has addressed politically sensitive subjects and human-rights abuses. Human Rights Watch previously reported that he had been charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Rights Network says political reposts or commentary were used as evidence in the case; that specific assertion remains attributed to the monitoring organization pending access to the judgment or another primary legal record.

Free China Movement calls for

• publication of the full first-instance judgment and legal reasoning;
• effective access to counsel and meaningful appeal rights;
• transparent information about Du Bin’s current custody status and treatment; and
• reversal of the conviction and release if the case rests on peaceful journalism, documentary work, writing or political expression.

Sources

• Rights Network / 维权网
• Minsheng Watch / 民生观察
• Human Rights Watch
• Committee to Protect Journalists

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