Urgent Appeal: Release Yao Wentian, Editor-In-Chief of Morning Bell Press, Defend Press Freedom in Hong Kong

Yao Wentian, editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong-based, Morning Bell Press, was arrested and held in Shenzhen for three months. Authorities accused Yao of carrying contraband, but those familiar with the circumstances believe that his arrest is related to the upcoming publication of a book that criticizes Xi Jinping, titled, Xi Jinping: China’s Godfather, by Yu Jie, as well as past publications critical of the Chinese authorities. This urgent appeal, initiated by overseas scholars and Yao’s friends, calls upon the international community to pay close attention to Yao’s case, and to strongly urge the Chinese authorities to immediately release Yao.