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Nicola Macbean

@nicolamacbean.bsky.social
192 followers 392 following 84 posts

Founding Director of The Rights Practice. Human rights, especially China. 🇬🇧🇩🇰🇪🇺

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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Hideous. This is not criminal punishment it’s torture. Worth reading this from a UN expert www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel... www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Tennessee woman on death row taken to hospital after surviving two lethal injections
Christa Pike, sentenced to death over 1995 murder, was heard snoring 40 minutes after lethal doses administered, witnesses said
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 26/09/2026
Incredible: another Ukrainian famine is unfolding, this time in Russian-occupied Oleshky. The remaining inhabitants of what used to be a thriving small city, now down to about 6000 people, are blockaded by Russian forces and cut off from food and water. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Oleshky: Eating garden weeds to survive in Russian-occupied city cut off from food and water
The BBC has spoken to residents in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky who say they are being "constantly shelled".
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Ryan Ho Kilpatrick 何松濤 @ryanhk.blue · 25/09/2026
Is it soft resistance to question what soft resistance is?
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A powerful statement from UN experts on how transnational repression violates human rights. More concerted action needed to protect those being targeted. Joint Statement by United Nations Human Rights Experts on Transnational Repression | OHCHR
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Always concerning to see companies enabling censorship by China. Stop it!
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
What’s going on here? Concerning to read that Home Office may not be sufficiently sceptical of convictions during Hong Kong protests.
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Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 18/09/2026
Xi Jinping wants to win over the Global South and take over Taiwan. If the West is to counter this, they must better understand China's grand strategy — and Xi Jinping's worldview. Read Steve Tsang's latest analysis for the autumn issue of @theworldtoday.org. bit.ly/4rmHuTZ
chathamhouse.org
What the West fails to grasp about China’s strategy to lead the world
Xi Jinping wants to forge ‘a common destiny for humankind’ by winning over the Global South and taking Taiwan. But if America and Europe are to counter this ‘double pivot’, they must better understand...
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
On 15 September 2026, The Rights Practice, along with 59 other organisations, called for Sophia Huang Xueqin's immediate release and the guarantee that, once released, she can carry out her journalism and human rights work without restrictions. www.rights-practice.org/news/joint-s...
rights-practice.org
Joint statement: Authorities must release Sophia Huang Xueqin
On 15 September 2026, The Rights Practice signed a joint statement, along with 60 other organisations, urging Chinese authorities to immediately release Huang Xueqin and allow her to resume her journa...
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Laura Phillips @lauraphillips.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
8pm and at #BBCSounds File on 4 Investigates discovers Chinese state money and influence reaching far into UK companies and universities as China targets British chip and blockchain technology, and asks whether enough is being done to mitigate the threat to national security.
bbc.co.uk
File on 4 Investigates - China and the UK... after the 'Golden Era' - BBC Sounds
Examining Chinese state influence in UK public life.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Welcome response from UN Human Rights on the unjust sentencing today of activists in Hong Kong. Repeats call to repeal the National Security Law. www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
ohchr.org
Hong Kong SAR: Sentences against three activists regrettable
In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, today’s imposition of lengthy jail terms on three activists and a heavy fine on the affiliated civil society organisation is another regrettable outcome...
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Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 11/09/2026
Nepal cancelled the #IATS2026 seminar with no formal Chinese protest on file and no explicit demand made. That's the point. Coercion that leaves no document is the hardest kind to name, resist, or count in any #transnationalrepression dataset. asia.nikkei.com/opinion/nepa...
asia.nikkei.com
Nepal's quiet surrender to China over Tibet
Kathmandu allows powerful neighbor to dictate which scholars may gather on one's own soil
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Jeppe Mulich @jmulich.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Seven years in jail for organizing a vigil and using a slogan. A vigil and a slogan which were legal in Hong Kong for thirty years. Really, Lee and Chow are being punished now for those thirty years of freedom and Beijing's frustration with the yearly vigil.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
For decades Hongkongers had the freedom to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen killings. Retrospective prosecutions are a monstrous stain on Hong Kong and the rule of law. These vindictive sentences ultimately suggest deep insecurity. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Tiananmen Square vigil organisers jailed for seven years in Hong Kong
Pro-democracy activists Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan were found guilty of ‘incitement to subversion’ in controversial national security case
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Looking forward to reading this both for the insights into Tibet from a real expert but also for how @robbiebarnett.bsky.social uses open source data on coercion in such an opaque context.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Harsh information control is now a constant in China. Controlling the global narrative but further undermining any trust in what the government says. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
How the Nepal-Tibet disaster became the latest victim of China’s ‘Clean Internet’ campaign
The online campaign used to focus on tackling cybercrime and hacking but has since expanded to suppress information that differs from official narratives
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Foreign Policy Centre @fpcthinktank.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
🌐 New long read | The State of the UN The UN may be in poor shape, but it is far from useless. Ahead of #UNGA, Fred Carver asks what has been lost as the international order fragments and what the UN still provides as the “velvet rope of diplomacy”. ➡️ fpc.org.uk/long-read-th...
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Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 29/08/2026
#Tibetans are facing devastating floods, but the world still knows little about the victims. The BBC reports footage has been scrubbed, survivor accounts are scarce, & families cannot get answers. Beijing’s censorship is obscuring the human toll in Tibet. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Tibet-Nepal floods: Shocking footage isn't being shown in China - and we know little about victims there
Some of the most dramatic footage from the deadly flash flooding is hidden from public view in China.
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Jeremy Goldkorn @goldkorn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I went back to China after a decade away—I'd previously lived there for 20 years. Some notes:
chinafile.com
App Life in China
“It’s really tough doing anything in China right now,” my friend told me. He’s a serial entrepreneur in Shanghai with a locked-in grin. We were waiting for our food in a Taiwanese restaurant in a lovi...
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Sadly an unsurprising verdict in today’s Hong Kong. The National Security Law overturned decades of freedom of expression and the right to protest. Hang-tung is right, the memory of Tiananmen is at risk of being erased. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Tiananmen Square vigil organisers found guilty in Hong Kong of ‘inciting subversion’
Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung - leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance – were tried under under a 2020 national security law
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Google Earth, a tool often used as a source of satellite imagery to verify photos and videos, has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI, for reasons. blog.google/products-and...
blog.google
Transform any place with Nano Banana in Google Earth
Custom images — generated from Google Earth satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery — help you redesign any location.
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The Economist @economist.com · 30/07/2026
Raiding bookshops looks patently repressive, especially to people in Taiwan who watch Hong Kong to see what Chinese rule might be like
bit.ly
The curious, never-ending crackdown on Hong Kong’s booksellers
A case of national-security theatre
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The Rights Practice, along with 6 other orgs, express grave concern about the arrest of Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the serious risks surrounding any potential deportation to China. www.rights-practice.org/news/joint-s...
rights-practice.org
Joint statement: ICE arrests Chinese lawyer Wu Shaoping
On 29 July 2026, The Rights Practice signed a joint statement, along with six other organisations, expressing grave concern about the arrest of Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping by the US Immigr...
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Lawyers for Lawyers @lawyersforlawyers.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🚨 #UnitedStates: Together with @thelawsociety.bsky.social, @asianlawyersn.bsky.social, @ibahri.bsky.social, and others, we express grave concerns about the arrest of Chinese human rights lawyer #WuShaoping by the #US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on 15 July 🔗Statement tinyurl.com/4cx96wxv
tinyurl.com
Grave concern over the ICE arrest of Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping – Lawyers for Lawyers
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
“Anticipatory compliance” in face of perceived China threats. Yes, I see a lot of that when raising human rights concerns.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Very pleased to read this. It’s a shame that this was ever in doubt.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
This is a very troubling case. Shocking to think the U.K. government might send Wu back to HK where he was a political prisoner. Will be following closely and glad to see support from the Lib Dems.
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Hong Kong Watch @hongkongwatch.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Today our 🇬🇧 Patrons wrote to Shabana Mahmood to raise urgent alarm over visa refusals and deportation threat to #HongKong political prisoners, including Wu Chi-wai, who faces deportation from the UK this Wednesday.
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China Digital Times @chinadigitaltimes.net · 20/07/2026
Amid Hong Kong Book Fair, Police Raid Two More Independent Bookstores, Arrest Five Booksellers "A woman with her hands cuffed behind her back, wearing a t-shirt declaring 'I am a bookstore clerk,' held her head high as she was escorted into a police car."
chinadigitaltimes.net
Amid Hong Kong Book Fair, Police Raid Two More Independent Bookstores, Arrest Five Booksellers
In yet another blow for book lovers and free thinkers in Hong Kong, national security police raided two independent bookstores (Have a Nice Stay and
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Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 16/07/2026
China is pressuring Thai authorities to turn over Chinese dissidents living in Thailand as Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visits China this week. Concerned governments should press the Thai authorities to protect the rights of people seeking safety in Thailand.
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Hong Kong Free Press HKFP @hongkongfp.com · 15/07/2026
BREAKING: Hong Kong police raid 2 independent bookstores, arrest 5 for alleged sedition – local media reports 🔗 hongkongfp.com/2026/07/15/b...
Breaking featured image 2025
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
1/ To coincide with the World Congress Against the Death Penalty, we published a new briefing paper: "Death Penalty Under Xi Jinping" to cast some light on the application of the death penalty under Xi Jinping, party secretary and president, in China. www.rights-practice.org/briefing-pap...
rights-practice.org
Briefing Paper: Death Penalty Under Xi Jinping
In June 2026, The Rights Practice published a briefing paper to cast some light on the application of the death penalty under Xi Jinping, party secretary and president.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
There are a number of important reports coming out about detention in China including from @savetibet.bsky.social. I hope those interested take a look at our @rightspractice.bsky.social report on mapping detention to better understand the underlying system.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Congratulations @kirstenhan.com and everyone else at the Transformative Justice Collective for your crucial work on the situation in Singapore.
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Hong Kong Watch @hongkongwatch.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
🗞️ Our June 2026 Human Rights Briefing www.hongkongwatch.org/all-posts/20...
hongkongwatch.org
Hong Kong Watch Briefing on Human Rights Developments: June 2026 — Hong Kong Watch
This briefing describes developments in Hong Kong in June 2026 focusing on the rapid deterioration of human rights in the city following the imposition of the National Security Law and the passage of ...
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
1/ Today, to mark International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we publish an important new report: "Beyond Prison. Mapping Deprivation of Liberty in China". We map the multiple ways in which the Chinese state may deprive someone of their liberty. www.rights-practice.org/report-beyon...
rights-practice.org
Report: Beyond Prison. Mapping Deprivation of Liberty in China
In June 2026, The Rights Practice published a new report "Beyond Prison. Mapping Deprivation of Liberty in China". The report maps the multiple ways in which the Chinese state may deprive someone of t...
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Lovely to see this tribute to my very dear friend Francis whom I got to know when we were students in Shanghai. His humour, his warmth. Left us all far too early. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Francis Markus obituary
Other lives: BBC Shanghai correspondent with a particular concern for humanitarian issues
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Edward Wong @ewong.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed our story about the arrest of a US citizen on a rare national security charge. A spokesman said after we posted this story that U Min Zin, an American scholar from Myanmar, had been arrested on suspicion of "espionage activities."
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Renee Xia @reneexia.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
John Kamm: “Human rights is not a priority for the U.S. government now in its dealings with China,” he said. “I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see any evidence to the contrary.”
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lokman tsui @lokman.org · 08/06/2026
because the legal system wasn’t rigged enough already hongkongfp.com/2026/06/08/b...
hongkongfp.com
HK leader to have power to certify any criminal case as national security
The Hong Kong government has proposed to the legislature that the chief executive have the power to certify any criminal case as a national security case, which has a binding effect on the courts.
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Nicola Macbean @nicolamacbean.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Very troubling report of how China is operating in the UK. Important to understand the organised crime angle, CCP interests and how it may tie in with transnational repression.
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Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Via Re-news: At about 7 pm, a man wearing a black shirt with the words "Sound of Silence" was outside Causeway Bay Station & wrote "human characters" on his forearm, then wiped it away & blindfolded himself. The man was then taken away by police... #NeverForget8964 #FreeHongKong
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Renee Xia @reneexia.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
CHRD documented over 30 human rights defenders (HRDs) who remain detained for participating in or commemorating the events of June 4th. Activist Guo Feixiong, who was a student protester in 1989, has been serving an eight-year sentence on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” since 2023.
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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
June 4 marks the anniversary of the deadly crackdown ordered by Deng Xiaoping, which killed hundreds – maybe thousands – of people in Beijing and Chengdu. While the campaign to erase all memory of the event continues, explosive new information emerged in the lead up to the anniversary in 2019. (1/3)
omny.fm
Tiananmen's Final Secret - The Little Red Podcast
Tuesday June 4 marks the 30th anniversary of the deadly crackdown ordered by Deng Xiaoping, which killed hundreds – maybe thousands – of people in Beijing and Chengdu. While the campaign to erase all ...
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HK Labour Rights Monitor 香港勞權監察 @hklabourrights.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the 1989 #TiananmenMassacre, artist Mei Tung Chan was briefly surrounded by plainclothes officers near SOGO while holding balloons, searched, and escorted to the MTR station. The balloons were confiscated and burst. All this… over a few balloons? #June4 #HK
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
1/ On the eve of the 37th anniversary of June Fourth, we re-share reflections from TRP Director @nicolamacbean.bsky.social "...the trauma of Tiananmen has cast its long shadow over the Party State’s relationship to its citizens..." www.rights-practice.org/blog/remembe...
rights-practice.org
Remembering June Fourth
As we remember the thirtieth anniversary of Tiananmen, let us also challenge ourselves and our politicians to find answers to the pressing questions posed by the large-scale, extrajudicial detentions ...
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The Rights Practice @rightspractice.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
1/ Hong Kong barrister and activist Chow Hang-tung published a message before 37th anniversary of #JuneFourth. She said that "June Fourth is a matter of principle. By standing firm on it, we can build the resilience much needed to resist the corrosive effects of power...
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Hong Kong Watch @hongkongwatch.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
🇬🇧 Hong Kong Watch ILR & MPF Status Tracker We are collecting cases of MPF withdrawal attempts from Hong Kongers who have secured ILR in the UK. If you have tried to retrieve your MPF savings after being granted settled status in the UK, please share your experience here: forms.gle/cXYJwwJwWScB....
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Alison Killing @alisonkilling.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
NEW: Xinjiang has the highest detention capacity in the world, according to FT analysis - enough space for almost 1 in 40 people in the region - more than five years after the Chinese govt announced the camps had closed.
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Bhuchung K. Tsering @bhuchung.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Discussion on #Tibetan elections in exile. Manjesh Rana, an expert from #ANFREL, and I discuss form and substance of Tibetan process and its relevance to the world of democratic governance system. Coming Live 2 pm #Bangkok time May 22. anfrel.org/democracy-wi...
anfrel.org
Democracy Without Borders: Observing the 2026 Tibetan General Elections | The Election Observer S03Ep06 | Asian Network for Free Elections
Season 3 Episode 6 of The Election Observer podcast, sheds light on the plight of the Tibetan diaspora community in pursuit of self determination.
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CHRD人权捍卫者网络 @chrdnet.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
🔴 COMING SOON: Our new report on #ChildLabor in 🇨🇳 publishes this week on Thursday. The data tells a story that demands action. 📩 Journalists, DM us for an embargoed copy.
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