Anti-CCP Activist Arrested in London, Claims He was ‘Framed’ by Chinese Embassy with ‘Fake’ Bomb Threat

This photo taken on September 1, 2020 shows student Drew Pavlou posing for a photo on the
PATRICK HAMILTON/AFP /AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Zindulka

Australian anti-CCP activist Drew Pavlou has claimed that he has been framed after London police arrested him over an allegedly “fake” bomb threat email provided to police by the Chinese Embassy.

Drew Pavlou, who has risen to international attention for his viral protests against Beijing on issues such as the Uyghur genocide and the treatment of Chinese tennis star Peng Shui, has claimed that the email is a fabrication, stating that the address “drewpavlou99@protonmail.me” from which the alleged bomb threat was sent is fake and that he has never had such an address.

The email allegedly read: “This is Drew Pavlou, you have until 12pm to stop the Uyghur genocide or I blow up the embassy with a bomb. Regards, Drew”.

Pavlou said that he was arrested and detained without access to an attorney for 23 hours and claimed that London’s Metropolitan Police informed him that he should not leave the country, as he is facing a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison.

Denying any connection to the email, the activist said in a video following his release: “The UK police arrested me. They said the Chinese embassy had reported me as a terrorist, as a bomb threat. I was so shocked, I’ve always been a peaceful protester.

“They’ve made up this email claiming that I sent in the bomb threat. It’s just absolute insanity. Why would I throw away my life like that? I’m a peaceful protester. It’s just so, so shocking.”

“I miss my family, I can’t leave the country, they’ve threatened to arrest me at the border. I’ve done nothing wrong. I just wanted to peacefully protest and the Chinese embassy have invented this narrative that I’m a terrorist. It’s insanity.”

Pavlou also pointed to reporting last year from The Australian newspaper which claimed that Chinese hackers had broken into his email account, compromising the identity of the mother of an Australia-based Uyghur he previously interviewed.

He said on Friday evening: “The Australian confirmed last year my emails were hacked by the Chinese government as part of sophisticated cyber operation. Now the Chinese government have produced fake emails to frame me with bomb threat in London. I face seven years in prison, my entire future hangs in balance.”

The activist and former Australian senatorial candidate has seen many leading anti-CCP figures rush to his defence, including prominent dissident Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao, who said: “From my understanding of Drew, there is absolutely no way he would send that threat. This is clearly Beijing‘s manipulation and frame to silence protest. The disgraceful action from UK police could… encourage [the] CCP’s toxic campaigns.”

Hong Kong activist in exile Nathan Law added: “This is a dangerous precedent. The [People’s Republic of China] has a record of falsifying claims, and the UK authorities should not fall into it. The right to protest against dictators should not be deprived.”

Benedict Rogers, founder and chairman of Hong Kong Watch, said that the arrest was “totally absurd [and an] outrageous injustice.”

“Drew Pavlou is a totally peaceful young man who heroically devotes his energies to highlighting [the] Uyghur genocide, Tibet, the dismantling of Hong Kong’s freedoms [and] China’s CCP repression.”

It is not the first time that Pavlou’s anti-CCP activism has resulted in police action. While campaigning for the Australian senate in May, he and his cameraman were assaulted while holding up a sign reading “Fuck Xi Jinping”. Despite video evidence showing that Pavlou’s team were assaulted by “Chinese ultranationalists”, the New South Wales police force reportedly launched an investigation into him over his sign denouncing the Chinese dictator.

In a statement on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police told The Guardian that it would not comment on the identity of people who have not been formally charged with a crime, but said: “The Met complies with strict codes of practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in relation to the detention of people in custody.

“Anyone who wishes to complain about their treatment by the Metropolitan Police can contact the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards or the UK Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka

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