The Hong Kong bookseller who went missing last year and was released last week said in a statement that he thought about taking his own life many times while in the custody of Chinese officials.

The bookseller, identified as 61-year-old Lam Wing-kee, was the manager of a bookstore called Causeway Bay Bookstore that sold books critical of the Chinese leadership. The bookstore was purchased by Gui Minhai in 2004, who is still in Chinese custody.

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Lam is one of the five booksellers who were imprisoned by Chinese officials for months. He was released just this Tuesday and has since been giving interviews about his experience.

Lam noted that he was accused last October of trying to overthrow the Chinese government by selling books via mail to the mainland.

He said that when he was in custody, the Chinese officials never told him what the punishment was for selling illegal books. They also did not inform him if he would be getting 5 or 10 years in prison or if they would sentence him without consulting "any sort of legal standard."

Lam contemplated suicide many times in January and February but could not do it, as the design of his prison cell was not suitable for the act.

Although there was no physical abuse, Lam said that he had to endure months of solitary confinement, interrogations, and psychological torture.

Lam was arrested while visiting the Chinese city of Shenzen. He claimed that he was blindfolded and taken to the eastern city of Ningbo. He was there until March and was then transferred to Shaoguan, where he was able to enjoy more freedom.

The other booksellers in custody were identified as Lui Bo, Cheung Jiping, and Lee Po.

Lam was released from China and returned to Hong Kong last week, on the condition of retrieving a hard disk that had the names of people from mainland China who purchased the books from the Mighty Current publisher. Lam said that he will not be giving any data to the officials.

The bookseller also said that his interrogators were interested in the books about a Communist Party directive urging officials to curb the ideas regarding freedom of the press, civil rights, civil society, and more. The other book gossiped about the love lives of Chinese leaders, including that of current president Xi Jinping. 

TagsHong Kong, Hong Kong Bookseller, disappearance of booksellers, Suicide, Chinese officials, controversial book titles, President Xi Jinping, Lam Wing-Kee