New York, November 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned Chinese authorities for allegedly ordering jailed veteran journalist Dong Yuyu to resume prison labour weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, calling the treatment inhumane and demanding his release on humanitarian grounds.
The international press freedom organisation said the demand showed disregard for the 64-year-old journalist’s health, which his family says has deteriorated following the operation.
“It is inhumane of Chinese authorities to expect 64-year-old Dong Yuyu to resume prison labor weeks after major surgery and demonstrates a blatant disregard for his life,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director.
She called on Beijing to stop all prison labour demands and release Dong, arguing that he should not have been imprisoned on what the organisation described as a bogus espionage charge.
According to CPJ, Dong, a former editor and columnist with the state-owned Guangming Daily, was arrested in 2022 while having lunch with a Japanese diplomat in Beijing. He was convicted of espionage in November 2024 and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Citing his family, CPJ said Dong underwent surgery in August at a prison hospital in Beijing to remove a cancerous tumour. Despite the operation, he was reportedly ordered to resume prison labour on October 12.
The tumour was detected in May after Dong was admitted to hospital with heart palpitations and weight loss, the organisation said. He was transferred from Beijing Prison to Chaobai Prison in Tianjin in March, taking him farther from his family home in Beijing.
Earlier this year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had also urged the international community to press Beijing to grant Dong medical parole, allowing him to seek treatment abroad and reunite with his family.
RSF Asia-Pacific Advocacy Manager Aleksandra Bielakowska expressed concern over his condition, citing what the organisation described as poor prison conditions and inadequate independent medical care in China.
The latest criticism has renewed calls from press freedom groups for Chinese authorities to prioritise Dong’s medical needs and reconsider his continued detention.
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