**Xu Zhiyong, who spent four years in prison, had been hiding for two months after participating in an event in favor of a transition in the country.** China's security forces have arrested Xu Zhiyong, a well-known pro-democracy activist this weekend, his colleagues reported. Xu, despite having been hiding for two months, had resorted to social networks to strongly criticize the management of the health crisis on the occasion of the coronavirus . The activist was sheltered in Guangzhou, at the home of Yang Bin, a lawyer and former prosecutor, when the police accessed the house with the aim of conducting a search as part of the coronavirus protection measures . Both she and her husband, her son and Xu himself were arrested by the agents. The family members, however, were released on Sunday after being interrogated, according to Yang in statements collected by the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post . "We are well and safe, thanks for your concern," said the lawyer before adding that he could not comment on the current whereabouts of Xu or the reasons for his arrest. Xu evaded the authorities for two months. It all started when in December he attended an event in Xiamen, in the south of the country, to discuss the democratic transition in China. At that time, security forces launched a campaign to locate and detain all participants. Four other renowned activists - Li Yingjun, Zhang Zhongshun, Dai Zhenya and Ding Jiaxi - remain in police custody without being able to communicate with their lawyers. “Xu was hiding and meeting with different friends in several cities, trying to advance his project to develop civil movements. But he was trapped as soon as controls due to the coronavirus epidemic began to be implemented throughout the country, ”said a fellow detainee in the same medium. Despite his precarious situation, Xu had remained active in social networks, where he was very critical of the Government's actions . At the beginning of February, with the city of Wuhan already in quarantine , he published an article in which he claimed the resignation of Xi Jinping, given his "inability to control major crises." In addition to the coronavirus, he cited as examples the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong or the commercial war with the United States. In his opinion, Xi's political ideology is "confusing," his model of government "outdated," and he, "not very smart." "Four years ago I asked you to lead China to make it a nation respectful of democracy and the constitution, but in return I was imprisoned for four years." With these last words, Xu referred to the trial he faced in 2014 for "calling a crowd and altering public order . " This accusation was the Executive's response to a series of protests organized in 2012 and 2013 by the leading NGO, the New Citizens Movement, and in which greater political transparency and social justice were demanded. Neither Xi nor his lawyer took the floor during the judicial process, as a protest against the violation of basic legal principles. Previously, Xu had served as a professor at the University of Telecommunications in Beijing and won two elections to the Popular Congress of the Haidian District - one of the capital's neighborhoods - as an independent in 2003 and 2006, until his candidacy was vetoed After the first few days of relative permissiveness, the Chinese Government has regained its hard hand in the face of growing discordant voices that come from outside, but especially from within its borders. Two weeks ago, Xi chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Party - the highest hierarchical ladder, in which only the seven most powerful people in the apparatus participate - in which it was agreed that official representatives should maintain a firm control of networks social and public opinion until “winning the war against the virus”. The next day, the Ministry of Public Security reminded all state security forces that political security is one of the highest priorities when dealing with the epidemic. https://elpais.com/internacional/2020/02/17/actualidad/1581962435_398587.html