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China Releases University of Minnesota Student Who Sent Tweets Mocking Xi, Says Report

Coincidentally, he was released to his hometown of Wuhan—the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.

A University of Minnesota student who was sentenced to prison in China for tweets he posted from the U.S. that mocked President Xi Jingping has reportedly been released—to his hometown of Wuhan, the city at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak. The Star Tribune reported that it had received word from Luo Daiqing’s university email address that he was indeed sentenced to six months in prison, but has since been released to the coronavirus-hit city. Axios reported Wednesday that Luo was sentenced in November over the posting of cartoon images that were seen as ridiculing the Chinese president. One tweet placed Chinese government slogans over images of the cartoon villain Lawrence Limburger. Chinese court documents accused the student of “denigrating a national leader’s image and indecent pictures.” It’s not been confirmed officially that Luo was released.