Overview

• Since February, at least 30 women in their 20s have been arrested for publishing danmei on Haitang Literature City.
• Obscenity charges under China’s 1997 pornography law carry potential sentences of up to 10 years for writers who profit from erotic content.
• Authorities are employing “offshore fishing” tactics by summoning authors to police stations in provinces they’ve never visited to impose fines.
• Detained writers report humiliating treatment, including forced strip searches and public photography during arrest procedures.
• Dozens of lawyers have stepped forward to provide pro bono representation to those facing trial or bail hearings.