Chinese documentary filmmaker and writer Du Bin was detained by Beijing police in October 2025 on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and sentenced to 18 months in prison on August 28. His family has not received the judgment or an official court notification. During his mother’s final illness, the family requested that he be allowed to return home to see her, but the court denied the request. His mother died on August 24, four days before he was sentenced.
Du, a former Beijing-based photographer for The New York Times, has long documented the experiences of petitioners, former labor-camp detainees, and other social groups through photography, documentaries, and books. According to China Human Rights Defenders, about 40 of his reposts or comments on political issues on X were cited as evidence in his conviction. Earlier reports said the alleged offense had at one point been described as “attacking national leaders.” However, “attacking national leaders” is not a formal offense under China’s Criminal Law, and Du was ultimately convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
Du has previously been detained on similar charges. In 2013, he was detained after producing a documentary about alleged torture of Falun Gong practitioners at the Masanjia Women’s Forced Labor Camp and was released after 37 days. He later published several books in Hong Kong and Taiwan about the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp and the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In December 2020, he was again detained on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and released after 37 days. During that case, police investigated his books, publishing activities, finances, and possible foreign funding. Du denied wrongdoing and said his publications and financial activities were lawful.
Source: Epoch Times, September 8, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhengzhi/renquan/2026/09/08/china-journalist-du-bin-provoking-trouble-documentary-producer/