Escaped Policeman from China Provides an Inside Look at the Police State

He helped oppress the Uyghurs, even escorting them to torture cells. Then, policeman Zhang Yabo fled China for Germany - where he has provided a clear look at the inner workings of the apparatus.

Chinese paramilitary police at the entrance to a mosque in the center of Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. (Photo: David Gray / REUTERS)

By Christoph Giesen, Frederik Obermaier, Bastian Obermayer, Sophia Stahl and Jessica Chen

The flight of former Chinese police officer Zhang Yabo begins on a sweltering hot August day in 2025, in a parking lot below Germany’s fairy-tale castle Neuschwanstein. Buses stand bumper to bumper, their engines idling as tour guides hold small flags aloft.