Sweden honours detained bookseller Gui Minhai despite Chinese threats
- Swedish culture minister defies warning to present free speech literary prize
- Hong Kong bookseller is in detention at an unknown location in China
Gui, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen, was known for publishing gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders out of a Hong Kong bookshop. He disappeared while on holiday in Thailand in 2015 before resurfacing in mainland China several months later.
The Swedish section of free speech organisation PEN International gave its Tucholsky Prize to the 55-year-old, who is currently in detention at an unknown location in China. The prize is for a writer or publisher being persecuted, threatened or in exile from his or her country.
“China resolutely opposes Swedish PEN awarding a criminal and lie fabricator,” China’s ambassador to Sweden Gui Congyou said in remarks published in English on the embassy’s website.
“We oppose even more resolutely any Swedish government officials attending the award ceremony.”
China would “surely take countermeasures”, the envoy said, adding that “some people in Sweden shouldn’t expect to feel at ease after hurting the feelings of the Chinese people”.
