https://rsf.org/en/rsf-safeguard-defenders-urge-thailand-halt-deportatio...
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Safeguard Defenders demand the Thai authorities halt the deportation of Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong as extradition proceedings against him begin on China’s request. The proceedings come the day before a hearing was scheduled to challenge the legality of his detention. The veteran reporter could face persecution, arbitrary detention and torture if returned to China.
On 8 October 2026, Bai Zhaodong, who is known for his coverage of the Chinese regime’s corruption, contacted RSF at 2:52 p.m. to alert that he had been brought before the Ratchada Criminal Court in Thailand without prior notice. “During the arrest we were not present, nor informed of the arrest warrant,” his lawyers later told RSF. The journalist said he explicitly insisted on the presence of his lawyers — who had to rush to the court as they had not been informed in advance — and refused to be sent back to China.
According to a court decision issued today, he will be transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison while awaiting a decision. The extradition request hearing is scheduled for 25 January 2027. Bai is due to appear in court on 9 October for a hearing on a legal challenge brought by his lawyers against the Thai authorities over his continued detention.
Bai Zhaodong also told RSF that a young Chinese national who claimed to work for the Chinese Embassy was waiting in the courtroom and attempted to pressure him to voluntarily return to China, telling him, “Go back to China now. Spending two years in prison won’t change anything, so it’s better to go back now.”
In January 2026, he was placed in a detention facility pending relocation to a third country, but Thai authorities have barred him from leaving Thailand on scheduled flights twice. UN expert Andrea Bolaños Vargas called on 8 October for release and insisted that Thailand must also uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure he is not transferred to China, echoing a statement made in August by UN experts.
“Bringing Bai Zhaodong before a court without notice, on the eve of a decision on the legality of his detention, is scandalous and shows how eager the Thai authorities are to bow to Beijing's demands. For years, Bangkok has stepped up its cooperation with the Chinese authorities in the repression of journalism. Eleven years ago, Chinese agents abducted Gui Minhai in Thailand, with the complicity of Thai authorities. Today, it is the Thai justice system that is ready to breach international law and hand over a journalist recognised as a refugee by the UN to a country where he risks torture. The coming hours are decisive for Bai Zhaodong's life. We call on the international community to demand that Bangkok halt his deportation and allow him to travel safely to the country of his choice.
“As usual, China is seeking to pressure both Bai himself and the Thai judicial system to have him returned at any cost. Thailand should assert it is a sovereign state that cannot be bullied into submission by its neighbour, and make sure Bai's legal rights are fully respected. Thus far, that has far from been the case.
