Missing Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiushi with parents under close watch

Name: Lawyer Chen Qiushi documenting coronavirus epicentre disappears
Uploaded: 2020-09-24T00:00:13.000Z
Duration: 2 min 39 s
Description: Lawyer Chen Qiushi documenting coronavirus epicentre disappears

Seven months after Chen disappeared covering the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, sources say he is in eastern China under official surveillance

Friend Xu Xiaodong says authorities decided not to prosecute Chen

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Chen Qiushi went missing in February covering the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. Photo: Handout

Guo Rui

Published: 8:00am, 24 Sep 2020Updated: 9:01am, 24 Sep 2020

A Chinese citizen journalist who went missing in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak seven months ago is staying with his parents in the country’s east under close surveillance, according to several sources.

Chen Qiushi went to the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late January to report on the fast-spreading disease but disappeared in February and had not been seen since.

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Lawyer Chen Qiushi documenting coronavirus epicentre disappears

On Thursday, Xu Xiaodong, a Chinese mixed martial arts fighter and Chen’s close friend, posted a video on YouTube reporting that the 35-year-old was in good health and was being held under “supervised surveillance at designated residence” in Qingdao in the eastern province of Shandong.

“The authorities have investigated his activities on the mainland, Hong Kong and Japan,” Xu said in the video.

“They are satisfied that he has no financial links with ‘foreign forces’, was not responsible for any subversive activities [and as a result decided] not to prosecute him.”

Xu confirmed on Wednesday that the video was authentic but declined to give further details, saying national security officials told him he must seek permission for media interviews.

A human rights lawyer, who asked not to be named, confirmed that Chen had been moved to Qingdao where the Beijing-based blogger’s parents live and where he is registered.