China: Alarm raised over detained journalist Dong Yuyu’s health after hospitalisation

According to information shared with RSF by his family, Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu was hospitalized on April 28, 2026, at a prison-affiliated hospital in the city of Tianjin. A computed tomography scan reportedly revealed "a sizable tumor in the lower lobe of his left lung, which requires further contrast-enhanced imaging to determine its nature". He has become extremely thin. Considering all factors, the family pointed out that malignancy is highly probable. Additional tests are reportedly scheduled for early May.

The family also pointed, that medical examinations also revealed arrhythmia, including premature atrial contractions and premature ventricular contractions. He has been placed on a 24-hour Holter monitor for further evaluation, but the results have not yet been communicated to his family. "The harsh conditions in wrongful detention over the past four years have taken a grave toll on Yuyu's health. We are hoping for an immediate release on medical grounds so Yuyu can get the life-saving treatment he needs," his family said to RSF.

In November 2024, Dong Yuyu, was sentenced to seven years in prison, after spending two years in pre-detention. He is a rare independent voice in China's state media, he spent 35 years working for the tightly controlled state-run newspaper Guangming Daily, yet managed to consistently report on human rights issues and abuses of power. Dong also worked as a contributor to The New York Times.

Mistreatment in China's prisons

China's prisons are notoriously unsanitary and lack transparency, allowing various forms of abuse to occur. Detained journalists are often subjected to torture, mistreatment, and denial of medical care. Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan was shackled and force-fed in prison, journalist who sparked #MeToo in China Sophia Huang Xueqin was subjected to the "tiger chair," while political commentator Yang Hengjun was subjected the abuse and torture in detention. Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel peace laureate, and Yang Tongyan, a blogger, both died from cancers left untreated while they were in prison, while Kunchok Jinpa, source on Tibet for foreign media passed away as a consequence of ill-treatment suffered whilst in detention.

China, the world's biggest prison for journalists and press freedom defenders with at least 120 media workers currently behind bars, is ranked 178th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index.