When Zhang Junjie was 17, he decided to protest against rules imposed by the Chinese government outside his university. Within days, he found himself confined to a psychiatric hospital and treated for schizophrenia.
Junjie's experience is not unique, as the BBC has uncovered numerous cases of individuals being hospitalized after challenging the authorities. Many of those interviewed reported being administered anti-psychotic medication and, in some instances, undergoing electroconvulsive therapy without their consent.
Junjie recounts being restrained, beaten by hospital staff, and medicated against his will. His ordeal commenced in 2022 when he protested against the government's stringent lockdown measures. Subsequently, his professors identified him, leading to his return home, police involvement, and eventual hospitalization under the guise of a Covid test.
Following his discharge, Junjie faced further troubles culminating in another forced hospitalization for violating a fireworks ban and filming himself. This led to accusations of "picking quarrels and troublemaking,” a charge commonly employed to silence critics of the government.
Fearing further involuntary hospitalizations, Junjie secretly departed to New Zealand. His traumatic journey sheds light on the resurgence of detaining dissenting voices in Chinese mental health facilities.