A 35-year-old Swedish man has been detained in China last week for acts that are suspected to have compromised the country's national security, according to a Thursday statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by Sina.com.
Peter Dahlin, co-founder of the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group, was taken into custody on Jan. 4, said the organization.
"Swedish citizen Peter Dahlin has been put under coercive measures in accordance with the law in Beijing on suspicion of engaging in acts that harm China's national security," said Hong Lei, spokesperson for the ministry, at a regular briefing. "This case is being investigated."
According to China's Criminal Procedure Law, compulsory measures can include arrest, detention, summons, residential surveillance and bail pending trial.
Endangering state security is a category under the Criminal Law with several offenses under it, including subversion of state power, separatism and espionage. The maximum sentence for some of the offenses in this category is death penalty, although a number of them allow for foreigners to be deported.
According to Hong, Dahlin's case is still under investigation.
"China will safeguard lawful rights of foreigners in China and will assist the Swedish Embassy in China in carrying out its consular services," said Hong.
Gabriella Augustsson from the Swedish Embassy in Beijing confirmed that a 35-year old male Swedish citizen had been detained in China and that the embassy was investigating, as well as working to set up a meeting with Dahlin.
Dahlin's camp said in a Tuesday statement that he had been detained on the evening of Jan. 3 while en route to Beijing's main airport, where he was supposed to fly to Thailand via Hong Kong. However, his whereabouts were unknown, as were those of his Chinese girlfriend who had also "disappreared."
In China, foreigners being detained on grounds of national security is rare. However, four Japanese citizens were held last year and accused of spying.
In 2014, a Canadian Christian couple who ran a coffee shop in Dandong were detained on espionage charges. The wife was later granted bail.