Hua Haifeng is one of three activists detained by Chinese authorities in late May while documenting working conditions at a local factory.
He’s always been let off with a warning.
It’s a streak that ended in late May, when Hua was arrested while investigating a factory that made shoes for Ivanka Trump’s brand and several others, including Marc Fisher and Kendall+Kylie.
“I’ve devoted myself to this work for about 14 years, this is the first time I’ve been detained, ” the activist told CNNMoney on Tuesday.
Hua said the circumstances of his month-long detention suggest the actions of local government officials may be motivated by political sensitivities around the Ivanka Trump brand.
“The factory is connected to Ivanka, which will bring global attention, ” he said.
Hua and two of his colleagues, Li Zhao and Su Heng, were picked up in the southern city of Ganzhou by Chinese authorities in late May before being released on bail two weeks ago. The trio were working undercover at two factories run by Huajian Group, investigating labor practices at the firm for New York-based advocacy group China Labor Watch.
A spokesman for the Ganzhou Public Security Bureau said Tuesday that he was not aware of the current situation when asked for comment about the activist’s claims. The Chinese government has previously said the men were put under criminal detention because of their use of “illegal monitoring devices.”
Related: China frees activists who probed factory that made Ivanka Trump shoes, group says
China Labor Watch says it uncovered evidence of worker abuse at multiple Huajian Group factories. The group says that video evidence shows that employees are made to work for up to 18 hours a day without being paid overtime.
