Chinese photographer Lu Guang released from detention

Almost a year after he was arrested in China, award-winning photojournalist Lu Guang has reportedly been released.

The documentary photographer, known for his work covering social and environmental issues in China, was visiting the Xinjiang region in the northwest of the country in November 2018 when he was taken away by government officials, Lu’s wife Xu Xiaoli said.

In December last year, the Chinese police confirmed that he had been arrested. However, to date, the Chinese government has failed to disclose any details about the reasons for his arrest. 

On Monday, Ms. Xu published on Twitter that her husband has been home for 'a few months now.' Voice of America reports that he is believed to be under surveillance on a residential bail-like release in China, despite having lived in the US since 1995.

According to Wen Yunchao, a New York-based former political commentator and family friend, the terms of his release could mean he may still face charges if, in the eyes of the authorities, he 'misbehaves.' 

Lu has won multiple World Press Photo awards, the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund in 2009, and a National Geographic Photography Grant in 2010. In 2005, he became the first photographer from China invited as a visiting scholar to the United States by the US Department of State.