Following the detention of a Bloomberg news employee Haze Fan, European Union has asked the Chinese government to release all journalists and citizens held by the security forces in connection with their reporting. Beijing had held Haze Fan on last Monday on the suspicion of endangering national security, said Bloomberg.
“All those arrested and detained in connection with their reporting activity should be immediately released,” an EU spokesperson said in a statement. The statement mentioned that “other Chinese journalists or citizens have disappeared this year, or been detained or harassed after engaging in reporting”. “We expect the Chinese authorities to grant her [Fan] medical assistance if needed, prompt access to a lawyer of her choice, and contacts with her family,” it added.
The Chinese laws ban its citizens from working with foreign news organisations in China but are allowed to work only as news assistants. Fan had joined Bloomberg in 2017. Bloomberg said it was “very concerned for her” and was continuing to seek more information.
