Family of Chinese blogger taken away after being questioned over critical letter

U.S.-based blogger Wen Yunchao told CPJ today he believes that government officials have detained his parents and brother after two weeks of police questioning the family about his alleged connection to an open letter calling on President Xi Jinping to resign.

Wen, a Chinese blogger and freedom of speech advocate who is based in New York, told CPJ that several unidentified people took his parents and younger brother from their homes in Jiexi county, Guangdong province. “My sister-in-law told me this news [today] and she said she has no idea where my brother and parents are now,” Wen said. Police and officials had visited Wen’s family several times in the past two weeks, questioning them about the blogger’s alleged involvement in the publication and dissemination of the open letter, he said. Wen denies any involvement in the letter, which was published on Wujie News (Watching News)on March 4.