Exiled Writer Liao Yiwu Meets Czech Senate President, Submits List of Chinese Political Prisoners
Exiled writer Liao Yiwu met with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil during his visit to Prague and submitted a list of 13 Chinese political prisoners. Liao Yiwu continues to expose human rights abuses in China through his writings, with the Czech edition of 'God is Red' recently published. President Vystrčil accepted the list and promised to convey it to the Czech government and the EU.
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- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 20:15
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Liao Yiwu, born in Sichuan in 1958, wrote the long poem 'The Massacre' in the early morning of June 4, 1989, and was arrested by the CCP the following year. In 2011, he smuggled himself out of China to Germany, and in his 15 years in exile, he has continuously exposed the CCP's human rights abuses through writing, speeches, and interviews.
Liao Yiwu's works are known for criticizing China's totalitarian system and focusing on the survival of ordinary Chinese people. His works, such as the Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker' (Hovory se spodinou), 'Bullets and Opium' (Kulky a opium), and 'For One Song and One Hundred Songs' (Pre jednu a sto piesní), have all been translated into Czech and published.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu's 2013 work 'God is Red' (Bůh je rudý), which records the true stories of Chinese Christians secretly surviving under totalitarian rule and religious persecution, was recently translated into Czech and published. Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Czech edition of 'God is Red' published, revealing persecution of Chinese Christians. Liao Yiwu's 2013 work 'God is Red' (Bůh je rudý), which records the true stories of Chinese Christians secretly surviving under totalitarian rule and religious persecution, was recently translated into Czech and published. This book won the 'Best Book Award' from the American magazine 'Christianity Today'.
Liao Yiwu shared the inspiration for writing 'God is Red'. He once met a Christian doctor in China. The doctor performed cataract surgery for patients in a dimly lit room, illuminated only by a flashlight.
He said: 'I was stunned at the time, how could such a thing happen? This kind of surgery should only be performed in a hospital, but it was completed in such a rudimentary environment.' After the surgery, the doctor invited him to learn more stories, so Liao Yiwu followed along and interviewed local Christians.
Liao Yiwu mentioned that Chinese Christian church pastor Wang Yi was arrested by Chinese authorities in 2018 on charges of 'inciting subversion of state power' and 'illegal business operations'. At that time, the police also arrested over a hundred church members. Wang Yi was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison.
He said with emotion that Wang Yi wrote to him the day before his arrest, saying, 'Every Chinese Christian should read 'God is Red' to understand the history of Western missionaries and how religion was introduced to China.' Unexpectedly, he was arrested the next day and has not been released since.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu (front right) recently visited Prague and met with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil (front left), presenting him with Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker', 'God is Red', and 'The Massacre' on CD. (Provided by writer Liao Yiwu) Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Liao Yiwu meets Senate President Vystrčil, submits list of Chinese political prisoners. During his visit to Prague, Liao Yiwu met with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and presented him with Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker', 'God is Red', and 'The Massacre' on CD. It is said that Vystrčil has read all of Liao Yiwu's Czech works.
Vystrčil later posted on the X platform that the meeting was inspiring and enlightening. 'Chinese writer Liao Yiwu describes himself as a walking recorder of the times, documenting the stories of ordinary people who often live on the margins of society or suffer some form of persecution. His work 'God is Red' was recently published in a Czech translation. Due to his writings and stance, Liao Yiwu has had to live in exile for a long time.'
At the suggestion of human rights organizations and activists, Liao Yiwu personally handed Vystrčil a list of Chinese political prisoners, including Fu Cha, Jimmy Lai, and Joshua Wong, totaling 13 people.
They believe that the Senate President, who insisted on visiting Taiwan despite the opposition of former President Miloš Zeman, will convey this list to the Czech government and the European Union, and ultimately to the Beijing authorities.
Liao Yiwu said that Vystrčil accepted the list of political prisoners on the spot and promised to translate, hand it over, and disseminate relevant information among parliamentarians.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu, who has been in exile for a long time, recently came to the Václav Havel Library in Prague to present the Czech edition of his work 'God is Red'. The venue was packed. Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Recalling the Prague International Book Fair controversy, Chinese pressure failed. This was not Liao Yiwu's first visit to Prague. In 2013, the Czech edition of 'The Corpse Walker' was published, and Liao Yiwu first participated in the Prague International Book Fair in May of the same year. The book sold over 20,000 copies at that time.
Liao Yiwu recalled that when the Chinese Embassy saw the name 'Liao Yiwu' in the book fair's preview list, they immediately raised questions and protests, even using the withdrawal of a delegation of more than 30 Chinese writers as a means of pressure.
He said: 'The Czechs were puzzled, saying that everyone is a writer, so why don't you come if he comes? The answer they got was that Liao Yiwu is a dissident, not a writer. The Czechs were even more puzzled, saying, can a writer without dissent be called a writer?'
Many important figures in Czech history were also dissidents, such as former President Václav Havel, who was a writer, thinker, playwright, and music lover; and Milan Kundera, Ivan Klíma, and Franz Kafka, the author of 'The Trial', and Jaroslav Hašek, the author of 'The Good Soldier Švejk', all of whom were well-known dissidents who resisted the authorities.
Liao Yiwu shared that, whether in writing, by phone, or in person, they could not reach an agreement. As a result, the dissident Liao Yiwu, who was not considered a writer, came and became a popular figure; while the more than 30 writers who were not dissidents did not come and were soon forgotten. (Edited by Hsieh Yi-hsuan) April 8, 2026.
Liao Yiwu's works are known for criticizing China's totalitarian system and focusing on the survival of ordinary Chinese people. His works, such as the Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker' (Hovory se spodinou), 'Bullets and Opium' (Kulky a opium), and 'For One Song and One Hundred Songs' (Pre jednu a sto piesní), have all been translated into Czech and published.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu's 2013 work 'God is Red' (Bůh je rudý), which records the true stories of Chinese Christians secretly surviving under totalitarian rule and religious persecution, was recently translated into Czech and published. Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Czech edition of 'God is Red' published, revealing persecution of Chinese Christians. Liao Yiwu's 2013 work 'God is Red' (Bůh je rudý), which records the true stories of Chinese Christians secretly surviving under totalitarian rule and religious persecution, was recently translated into Czech and published. This book won the 'Best Book Award' from the American magazine 'Christianity Today'.
Liao Yiwu shared the inspiration for writing 'God is Red'. He once met a Christian doctor in China. The doctor performed cataract surgery for patients in a dimly lit room, illuminated only by a flashlight.
He said: 'I was stunned at the time, how could such a thing happen? This kind of surgery should only be performed in a hospital, but it was completed in such a rudimentary environment.' After the surgery, the doctor invited him to learn more stories, so Liao Yiwu followed along and interviewed local Christians.
Liao Yiwu mentioned that Chinese Christian church pastor Wang Yi was arrested by Chinese authorities in 2018 on charges of 'inciting subversion of state power' and 'illegal business operations'. At that time, the police also arrested over a hundred church members. Wang Yi was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison.
He said with emotion that Wang Yi wrote to him the day before his arrest, saying, 'Every Chinese Christian should read 'God is Red' to understand the history of Western missionaries and how religion was introduced to China.' Unexpectedly, he was arrested the next day and has not been released since.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu (front right) recently visited Prague and met with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil (front left), presenting him with Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker', 'God is Red', and 'The Massacre' on CD. (Provided by writer Liao Yiwu) Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Liao Yiwu meets Senate President Vystrčil, submits list of Chinese political prisoners. During his visit to Prague, Liao Yiwu met with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and presented him with Czech editions of 'The Corpse Walker', 'God is Red', and 'The Massacre' on CD. It is said that Vystrčil has read all of Liao Yiwu's Czech works.
Vystrčil later posted on the X platform that the meeting was inspiring and enlightening. 'Chinese writer Liao Yiwu describes himself as a walking recorder of the times, documenting the stories of ordinary people who often live on the margins of society or suffer some form of persecution. His work 'God is Red' was recently published in a Czech translation. Due to his writings and stance, Liao Yiwu has had to live in exile for a long time.'
At the suggestion of human rights organizations and activists, Liao Yiwu personally handed Vystrčil a list of Chinese political prisoners, including Fu Cha, Jimmy Lai, and Joshua Wong, totaling 13 people.
They believe that the Senate President, who insisted on visiting Taiwan despite the opposition of former President Miloš Zeman, will convey this list to the Czech government and the European Union, and ultimately to the Beijing authorities.
Liao Yiwu said that Vystrčil accepted the list of political prisoners on the spot and promised to translate, hand it over, and disseminate relevant information among parliamentarians.
Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu, who has been in exile for a long time, recently came to the Václav Havel Library in Prague to present the Czech edition of his work 'God is Red'. The venue was packed. Photo by Liu Yuting, Central News Agency, Prague, April 8, 2026. Recalling the Prague International Book Fair controversy, Chinese pressure failed. This was not Liao Yiwu's first visit to Prague. In 2013, the Czech edition of 'The Corpse Walker' was published, and Liao Yiwu first participated in the Prague International Book Fair in May of the same year. The book sold over 20,000 copies at that time.
Liao Yiwu recalled that when the Chinese Embassy saw the name 'Liao Yiwu' in the book fair's preview list, they immediately raised questions and protests, even using the withdrawal of a delegation of more than 30 Chinese writers as a means of pressure.
He said: 'The Czechs were puzzled, saying that everyone is a writer, so why don't you come if he comes? The answer they got was that Liao Yiwu is a dissident, not a writer. The Czechs were even more puzzled, saying, can a writer without dissent be called a writer?'
Many important figures in Czech history were also dissidents, such as former President Václav Havel, who was a writer, thinker, playwright, and music lover; and Milan Kundera, Ivan Klíma, and Franz Kafka, the author of 'The Trial', and Jaroslav Hašek, the author of 'The Good Soldier Švejk', all of whom were well-known dissidents who resisted the authorities.
Liao Yiwu shared that, whether in writing, by phone, or in person, they could not reach an agreement. As a result, the dissident Liao Yiwu, who was not considered a writer, came and became a popular figure; while the more than 30 writers who were not dissidents did not come and were soon forgotten. (Edited by Hsieh Yi-hsuan) April 8, 2026.
FAQ
To whom did Liao Yiwu submit the list of political prisoners?
Liao Yiwu submitted the list of political prisoners to Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.
How many political prisoners were on the list submitted by Liao Yiwu?
The list of political prisoners submitted by Liao Yiwu included 13 individuals.