To protect and promote the rights of publishers and authors around the world.

In keeping with the institute's mission to support publishers outside of the u. S. Who have demonstrated courage and fortitude in the face of restrictions on freedom of expression, a grant was awarded to support gui minahi, a hong kong based publisher and bookseller currently detained in mainland china. His daughter accepted the award in new york on his behalf. A naturalized sweedish citizen, gui minahi is the co-owner of mighty current media. In october 2015, he was abducted by chinese security agents from his vacation house in thailand and detained in china for two years without charge. Gui is one of five booksellers from the causeway bay bookstore, known for selling books banned within mainland china, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in late 2015, only to reappear under chinese custody in what has been known as the "causeway bay bookstore incident". In october 2017, after two years of detention with only limited contact with swedish officials and no contact with family and friends, gui was officially released from detention but forced to remain in china and regularly report to police. On january 20, 2018, gui was seized by chinese authorities while being escorted by two swedish diplomats to a medical appointment in beiging.