The Australian government is offering consular assistance to human rights activist Drew Pavlow, who was arrested in the UK on July 21 after he was arrested on suspicion of making a false bomb threat against the Chinese embassy in London. confirmed.
The 23-year-old has been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party after facing expulsion from his university for organizing a peaceful demonstration on campus demanding the removal of the CCP’s Confucius Institute in Australia.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to the Epoch Times in an email that it supports Mr Pavlow.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Drew Pavlow, an Australian who was arrested in the UK and subsequently released,” said a spokesperson, but declined to provide details due to privacy concerns. could not.
Pavlou was arrested during a small protest outside the Chinese embassy in London, which he claimed was orchestrated by Beijing.
“They said the Chinese embassy reported me as a terrorist and a bomb threat. I was so shocked,” Pavlou said. Position on Twitter.
Pavlow also claimed to have been held in an isolated cell for 23 hours by the London Underground Police, who apparently denied him access to the Australian consulate.
“They pressured me to put up with [an] For interviews without the presence of an attorney, only one supervised 5-minute telephone call was allowed after 20 hours. They confiscated my cell phone and said I could not leave the country.
They pressured me to do an interview without a lawyer present and allowed only one supervised five-minute phone call after 20 hours.They seized my phone and said I can’t leave the country, I’m facing 7 years in prison
— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 22, 2022
In addition, Mr Pavlow said British police “threatened him with charges of crimes related to obstruction of investigation and pressured him to hand over his phone password”. [sic] 5 years imprisonment. “
However, the Metropolitan Police Department denies this claim. In an email to The Times of Epoch on July 23, they said charing after he booked Pavlou at the Cross Police Station, “was offered legal advice and the lawyer on duty told him he was on July 21.” He was called at 20:22.”
Common Tactics Used to Silence Dissent
Amnesty International sent a letter to Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong in response to Pavlou’s arrest, saying he was the victim of a common tactic deployed by the Chinese government against critics.
Amnesty International said, “Deeming peaceful protests as a threat to national security and sending fake emails is a tactic commonly used by the Chinese government against Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers. ‘ said. media statement.
“Mr. Pavlou believes the fake email address was designed to defraud him of his activities. It suggests something.”
Amnesty International said it was also concerned about Pavlow, who has received numerous death threats and threatening messages since news of his arrest and bomb threats became public knowledge.
“We urge the Australian Government to provide all assistance to Mr Pavlow to ensure his safe return to Australia as soon as possible and to ensure that his fundamental rights are protected.”
Pavlou is Position On Twitter, he reported to police the identities of those who had sent death threats.
“We have identified the man who sent us the audio recording of the death threats. A young British man who studied Mandarin at university and now works for a think tank in Beijing with strong ties to senior Chinese Communist Party officials and the Ministry of State Security. The police have his name,” Pavlou wrote.
The person who sent the audio recording of the death threat has been identified. He is a young Englishman who studied Mandarin at university and now works for a think tank in Beijing, with strong ties to high-ranking officials of the Chinese Communist Party and the Ministry of State Security.the police have his name
— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 29, 2022
Anti-Chinese Communist Party activist arrested
Meanwhile, Pavlow’s arrest has inspired human rights activists around the world, with British lawyer Benedict Rogers, chief executive of Hong Kong Watch and co-founder of the Conservative Human Rights Committee, saying: twitter Call Pavlou’s arrest “an absolutely ridiculous and outrageous fraud.”
Rogers praised Pavlou as “an absolutely peaceful young man who heroically devotes his energies to highlighting human rights atrocities in Xinjiang and Tibet, the dismantling of freedom in Hong Kong, and the suppression of the Chinese Communist Party.”
“He should be applauded, not arrested,” Rogers wrote.
Totally ridiculous, outrageous injustice.@Drew Pavlou He is a perfectly peaceful young man who heroically devotes his energy to highlights. #Uyghur genocide, #Tibetdismantling of #Hong Kongfreedom of and #Chinaof #chinese communist party suppression
he should not be arrested, he should be praised / https://t.co/sVrVFQu8DZ
— Benedict Rogers Luo Jessie (@benedictrogers) July 22, 2022
British politicians are also taking up Pavlow’s case, along with Edward Lucas, a member of the British Parliament. call Thoroughly investigate the response of the police department.
In his complaint, Lucas said London police should not have pressured the activist into handing over his cell phone password under the threat of imprisonment.
“People living in China who are in contact with foreign activists face life-threatening risks if their identities are known,” Lucas said. “The Metropolitan Police Department should protect rather than be complicit in harassment.”
Lily Zhou contributed to this article.
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Victoria Kelly-Clark is an Australia-based reporter focusing on the national politics and geopolitical environment in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Central Asia.