Beijing [China], June 18 : Chinese authorities are facing international criticism after concerns emerged over the worsening health of imprisoned journalist Dong Yuyu, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urging China to grant him immediate medical parole for urgent treatment.
According to CPJ, the 64-year-old former journalist is suffering from a rapidly growing lung tumour and several other serious medical conditions that require specialised care.
Dong's age and the harsh conditions of his incarceration make his situation increasingly alarming.
Dong was admitted to a prison-affiliated hospital in Tianjin on April 28 after experiencing heart-related symptoms, including palpitations and discomfort.
Medical examinations reportedly discovered a tumour measuring 3.3 by 2.2 centimetres in the lower portion of his left lung.
Further testing is needed to determine whether the mass is cancerous.
Dong's son, Yifu, stated that the tumour has grown quickly and that his father has lost significant weight in recent months.
Additional examinations are expected to take place this week.
Doctors have also diagnosed Dong with arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, and fitted him with a Holter monitor to continuously track his cardiac activity.
A former editor and columnist for the state-run Guangming Daily, Dong was detained in February 2022 while meeting a Japanese diplomat in Beijing.
Chinese authorities later charged him with espionage.
In November 2024, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, and a higher court upheld the conviction in late 2025 after prolonged appeal proceedings, as highlighted by CPJ.
Since being transferred to a prison in Tianjin earlier this year, Dong has reportedly been required to perform garment manufacturing work for up to nine hours daily while surviving on a nutritionally inadequate prison diet.
The move has also made family visits significantly more difficult.
China remains the world's leading jailer of journalists, with at least 51 media workers currently behind bars, as reported by CPJ.