Anhui self-media writer Wu Huaiyun, who was previously imprisoned for 3 years and 10 months for her speech, arrested again on the eve of the 2026 Spring Festival and currently detained at the Lu’an Detention Center in Anhui Province

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On August 6, 2026, this outlet learned: Ms. Wu Huaiyun, an Anhui self-media writer who was previously imprisoned for 3 years and 10 months for her speech, was arrested again on the eve of the 2026 Spring Festival and is currently detained at the Lu’an Detention Center in Anhui Province.

Wu Huaiyun’s profile: An Anhui self-media writer, female, with the Twitter name “Xinyue Baiyun.” Born on December 15, 1970, she is from Huoshan County, Anhui Province.

Wu Huaiyun was originally a well-known entertainment writer in China, posting and writing on multiple major domestic platforms every year. After joining Twitter in September 2018 under the Twitter name "Xinyue Baiyun," she was accused of defaming the Party and state leaders because of her tweets. Her domestic accounts—her Weibo big-V account, Sina blog, and WeChat public account "Xinyue Micro-Report"—were all shut down on the same day, and she was administratively detained in October 2018 and held in a detention center for 11 days.

On March 23, 2021, the Public Security Bureau of Huoshan County, Anhui, citing her posting on Twitter, criminally detained Wu Huaiyun on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and placed her in a detention center. She was subsequently formally arrested and prosecuted. Later, purely because of her statements, the Huoshan County Court sentenced her to 3 years and 10 months in prison on September 20, 2023, for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Her sentence was due to end on January 11, 2025.

Wu Huaiyun suffered extensive abuse and torment in prison. She was given 6 or 7 injections and was also forced to take medication for more than two years. She was forced to admit guilt and accept punishment; otherwise, her detention would be repeatedly extended and she would receive a heavier sentence. She was held for 28 months before the verdict was issued. In prison, she was once beaten by a group of police officers, leaving her face bruised and swollen, and suffered soft-tissue and rib injuries in multiple places, yet Wu Huaiyun consistently refused to admit guilt.

After her release, on April 28, 2025, the local police again summoned Wu Huaiyun to the police station to threaten and warn her. They even intended to fine her up to 10,000 yuan. Because the police knew that Wu Huaiyun had no money, they did not ask her to pay. The reason for dealing with her was actually that she had posted on Twitter. She said that she had posted only a few items, all of them famous quotations posted on Twitter after being transferred from domestic sources. The police said that regardless of what content you post, accessing foreign websites by circumventing the firewall is illegal.

Since Wu Huaiyun was released after completing her sentence and returned home, the police have repeatedly visited her home in the name of showing concern, asking mostly about her online activities. This has continued to cause Ms. Wu Huaiyun enormous psychological pressure and distress. She was arrested again on the eve of the 2026 Spring Festival and has been detained at the Lu’an Detention Center to this day.

This outlet will continue to follow Ms. Wu Huaiyun’s situation.