Hong Kong-based publisher Yao Wentian was convicted on May 7, 2014, on the charge of “smuggling prohibited items” by the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court and sentenced to ten years in jail. It is believed that the conviction was politically motivated by the fact that Wentian was preparing to publish a book by U.S.-based dissident writer Yu Jie entitled Chinese Godfather Xi Jinping. According to Jie, Wentian had received a threatening message that he cease plans for publication of the book or risk consequences to his and his family’s personal safety. Wentian’s son also reported harassment that his father suffered in the past for collaborating on other projects with Jie, adding that when his father was arrested, one of the customs officials said, “We finally got you; you’re a big fish.”

According to PEN International, Wentian, also known as Yiu Mantin, was arrested on October 27, 2013 while delivering industrial paint to a friend. While the paint is legal, official permission is required for industrial usage, a fact that Yao was reportedly unaware of. The initial charge was “carrying prohibited items,” but was later changed to a more serious charge of “smuggling ordinary goods/items,” which carries sentence of between three years to life imprisonment. Wentian was initially taken to a detention center in Guangzhou but his deteriorating health caused him to be hospitalized elsewhere. He was formally arrested last November and has since been held at No. 2 Detention Centre of Shenzhen City’s medical facility.

Wentian, 73, is a former chief editor of Morning Bell Press in Hong Kong and a publisher that has worked closely with dissident writers in the publication of books that have been banned in China. His publications include Collected Literary Works of Chinese Writers in Prison and an Independent Chinese PEN Center Membership Literature Series. His arrest and conviction occurred during a reported crackdown on Hong Kong and Taiwanese works deemed “vulgar” or “politically harmful.”

Source: PEN International