Chinese freelance journalist, filmmaker, and photographer Du Bin has been held at the Shunyi Detention Center in Beijing since October 15, 2025, on allegations of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” the third time he has been taken into custody on the same accusation.
Du, 53, has previously worked for state-run media outlets such as the Beijing Youth Daily and international organizations including The New York Times. He has spent years documenting human rights issues and authored several books on China’s leadership, political system, and major historical events.
In 2013, he was detained for 37 days after publishing a documentary about mistreatment of women in a forced labor camp and a book on the Tiananmen Square crackdown. He was detained again for another 37 days in December 2020. He was not prosecuted in either case.
The Beijing Shunyi District People’s Government did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.