Australia’s human rights commissioner has weighed in on the case of a University of Sydney student allegedly jailed for six years in China for attending pro-democracy protests in Sydney, calling it a stark example of “very real and growing risks of transnational repression affecting people in Australia - including international students.”

Commissioner Lorraine Finlay told Guardian Australia that while she couldn't comment on specific cases, “no one should fear punishment abroad for exercising their lawful rights to free expression and peaceful protest here.” The student went missing in December 2024 after returning to China and was allegedly charged with secession and sentenced to six years for joining solidarity protests for China’s ethnic minorities.

Finlay urged the Albanese government to launch a dedicated parliamentary inquiry into transnational repression, saying Australia needs to “hear directly from those affected and identify concrete steps to better protect human rights on Australian soil.” One Chinese student activist, using the pseudonym John, said he was “shocked but not surprised” by the arrest, and that he’d been “mentally prepared” for retribution despite attending what he described as “relatively safe” protests. Another student, Emma, called on the Australian government to offer more support for international students who speak up for democracy, noting that “it takes a lot of risks for a Chinese national to participate in [protests].”

Grace Street, president of the University of Sydney’s student representative council, criticized the university and government for “sorely failing in their duty of care for students,” saying the university’s silence implies it “will not support their freedoms and rights to protest against injustice.” Dr Alison Barnes, national president of the National Tertiary Education Union, called for updated university foreign interference guidelines “to keep pace with a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.” Justin Bassi of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute warned that “governments and particularly university administrators cannot pretend that their relationships with China are normal,” while noting it’s “very difficult” for Australia to prevent detention in China.