28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Torture in detention remained widespread ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23541]

"Yang Chunlin, a human rights activist from Heilongjiang, was detained on 6 July for “subversion of state power”. He had supported the legal action brought by over 40,000 farmers whose land had been confiscated without compensation. Yang Chunlin had helped to gather signatures for a petition entitled “We want human rights, not the Olympics” signed by many of the farmers. Police repeatedly refused him access to his family and lawyer on the grounds that his case “related to the state”. Yang Chunlin was tortured, including on numerous occasions by having his arms and legs stretched and chained to the four corners of an iron bed, and being forced to eat, drink and defecate in that position.
Shanghai housing rights activist Chen Xiaoming died of a massive haemorrhage shortly after being released from prison on medical parole on 1 July."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Illegal interrogation by "atrocious torture" existed in local judicial practice throughout the country ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22758]

"The law forbids prison guards from extracting confessions by torture, insulting prisoners' dignity, and beating or encouraging others to beat prisoners. However, in November 2006 the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Deputy Secretary Wang Zhenchuan acknowledged that illegal interrogation by "atrocious torture" existed in local judicial practice throughout China and that almost all mishandled criminal cases in the previous year involved the "shadow of illegal interrogation." Wang estimated that at least 30 wrongful convictions were issued each year because of torture. In addition there continued to be frequent reports that police and other elements of the security apparatus employed widespread torture and degrading treatment when dealing with some detainees and prisoners."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Reports that officials used electric shocks, beatings, shackles, and other forms of abuse ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22759]

"During the year there were reports that officials used electric shocks, beatings, shackles, and other forms of abuse. In February and March legal advisor and rights activist Guo Feixiong (also known as Yang Maodong) reportedly suffered repeated torture, including electric shocks and being tied to a "tiger bench" for four hours. When on a "tiger bench" the victim reportedly sits on a bench with legs tied stretched out straight on the bench and hands tied behind a vertical back support. Bricks or other hard objects are then pushed under the victim's legs or feet, causing the legs to bend upwards, sometimes until they break. The abuse reportedly drove Guo to attempt suicide. In June Guo Feixiong's wife reportedly sent an open letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak detailing her husband's abuse in prison, which included beatings with electric police batons when Guo refused to make a confession. On September 29, rights defender Li Heping reportedly was detained for six hours by plainclothes assailants who beat and tortured him with cattle prods before releasing him. In October a recently released cellmate of land activist Yang Chunlin reported that Yang was tortured in prison, including having his legs and arms stretched and chained to four corners of an iron bed for days.
In June 2006 authorities detained and beat Alim and Ablikim, the sons of prominent Uighur human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer, and Alim reportedly confessed to the charges against him after being tortured by security officials. In 2006 Beijing-based petitioner leader Ye Guozhu reportedly was tortured and abused in prison, including beatings with electric batons, suspension from the ceiling by his arms, and shackled and forced to sit in extreme positions for extended periods of time. In June the Guangzhou Intermediate Court convicted a police officer of beating to death a fraud suspect, Wang Weiqing, in 2002. Prosecutors determined that 40 officers in the local public security bureau (PSB) conspired to conceal the beating. Many alleged acts of torture occurred in pretrial criminal detention centers or reeducation-through-labor centers."

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11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Torture remained widespread and procedural and substantive measures were inadequate to prevent torture ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22760]

"In March 2006 UN Special Rapporteur Nowak reaffirmed earlier findings that torture, although on a decline--particularly in urban areas--remained widespread, and that procedural and substantive measures were inadequate to prevent torture. Nowak reported that beatings with fists, sticks, and electric batons continued to be the most common forms of torture. He also found that prisoners continued to suffer cigarette burns, prolonged periods of solitary confinement, and submersion in water or sewage, and that they were made to hold extreme positions for long periods, were denied medical treatment, and were forced to do hard labor. Death row inmates were shackled or handcuffed 24 hours per day and systematically abused to break their will and force confessions. According to Nowak, officials specifically targeted for abuse house church groups, Falun Gong adherents, Tibetans, and Uighur prisoners. Nowak reported that Falun Gong practitioners accounted for 66 percent of victims of alleged torture while in government custody. Since the crackdown on Falun Gong began in 1999, estimates of the number of Falun Gong adherents who died in custody due to torture, abuse, and neglect ranged from several hundred to a few thousand."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Torture and ill-treatment remained widespread ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20016]

"Torture and ill-treatment remained widespread. Common methods included kicking, beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful positions, cigarette burns, and sleep and food deprivation. In November a senior official admitted that at least 30 wrongful convictions handed down each year resulted from the use of torture, with the true number likely being higher. There was no progress in efforts to reform the Re-education through Labour system of administrative detention without charge or trial. Hundreds of thousands of people were believed to be held in Re-education through Labour facilities across China and were at risk of torture and ill-treatment. In May 2006, the Beijing city authorities announced their intention to extend their use of Re-education through Labour as a way to control "offending behaviour" and to clean up the city's image ahead of the Olympics.

• Ye Guozhu was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in 2004 for his opposition to forced evictions in Beijing associated with construction for the Olympic games. It emerged during 2006 that Ye had been tortured while in detention. He was reportedly suspended from the ceiling by the arms and beaten repeatedly by police in Dongcheng district detention centre, Beijing, and also reportedly tortured in another prison in the second half of 2005."

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06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Widespread torture and degrading treatment of detainees and prisoners ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 18959]

"The law forbids prison guards from extorting confessions by torture, insulting prisoners' dignity, and beating or encouraging others to beat prisoners. However, police and other elements of the security apparatus employed widespread torture and degrading treatment when dealing with some detainees and prisoners. UN Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak's March report to the UN Commission on Human Rights blamed the prevalence of torture on institutional weakness and lack of judicial independence in a system that pressures police to solve cases and allows them wide discretion in matters of arrest and detention.Former detainees credibly reported that officials used electric shocks, beatings, shackles, and other forms of abuse. In January four teenagers from Anhui Province were released from custody. Media reports said authorities were investigating three police officers on suspicion of using torture to coerce false confessions from the teenagers. Public security officials acknowledged that the teenagers' cases were mishandled. In June authorities charged Alim, Ablikim, and Qahar Abdurehim, three of Uighur businesswomen Rebiya Kadeer's sons, with state security and economic crimes. Authorities beat Alim and Ablikim, and Alim confessed to the charges against him after reportedly being tortured. In October 2005 Falun Gong adherents Liu Boyang and Wang Shuohui of Changchun, Jilin Province reportedly died in custody after being tortured by police. Beijing-based petitioner leader Ye Guozhu was reportedly tortured and abused in prison, including beatings with electric batons, suspension from the ceiling by his arms, and shackled and forced to sit in extreme positions for extended periods of time. Inner Mongolian cultural activist Hada was also reportedly tortured. Approximately half of all alleged acts of torture occurred in pretrial criminal detention centers or reeducation-through-labor centers. [...]In March UN Special Rapporteur Nowak reaffirmed earlier findings that torture remained widespread. Nowak reported that beatings with fists, sticks, and electric batons continued to be the most common tortures. He also found that prisoners continued to suffer cigarette burns, prolonged periods of solitary confinement, and submersion in water or sewage, and that they were made to hold extreme positions for long periods, were denied medical treatment, and were forced to do hard labor. Death row inmates were shackled or handcuffed 24 hours per day and systematically abused to break their will and force confession. According to Nowak, officials specifically targeted house church groups, Falun Gong adherents, Tibetans, and Uighur prisoners for abuse. Nowak found that procedural and substantive measures to prevent torture were inadequate."

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10.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

China is the country with most executions worldwide; many people forced to confess ("Im Zweifel gegen den Angeklagten") [ID 17867]

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20.09.2006 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Torture remains widespread ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 17378]

see report for further details - Chapter V(b)

"• Although illegal in China, torture and abuse by law enforcement officers remain widespread. Factors that perpetuate or exacerbate the problem of torture include a lack of procedural safeguards to protect criminal suspects and defendants, over reliance on confessions of guilt, the absence of lawyers at interrogations, inadequate complaint mechanisms, the lack of an independent judiciary, and the abuse of administrative detention measures. The Chinese government emphasizes its ongoing efforts to pass new laws and administrative regulations preventing, punishing, and compensating cases of torture by law enforcement officers. Both the SPP and the Ministry of Public Security have announced their support for audio and video taping of interrogations of criminal suspects accused of a limited number of crimes. The Chinese government recognizes that problems of misconduct, including physical abuse, exist within Chinese prisons and reeducation through labor centers, and it is making progress toward increasing accountability for such behavior."

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15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Torture and ill-treatment of religious adherents ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18332]

"Religious adherents were beaten, and some died in police custody after being detained in connection with their religious belief or practice. In June 2004, the government-run Legal Daily newspaper reported that Jiang Zongxiu had died in police custody in Zunyi, Guizhou Province, after being arrested for distributing Bibles. A Legal Daily editorial comment condemned local officials for mistreating Jiang. In 2004, Gu Xianggao, allegedly a member of the Three Grades of Servants Church that the Goverrnment considers a cult (discussed below), was beaten to death in a Heilongjiang Province security facility. Public security officials paid compensation to Gu's family. In September 2005 government agents reportedly broke bones of Christian businessman Tong Qimiao at a police station in Kashgar, Xinjiang, while he was being interrogated about the activities of local house churches. In November 2005 hired thugs beat sixteen nuns, one of whom was blinded and another partially paralyzed, when the nuns protested demolition of a Catholic school in Xian. Hundreds of Catholics marched on Government offices in protest, and the Vatican publicly protested the incident."

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15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Torture of leaders and followers of unregistered religious groups ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18335]

"Many religious leaders and adherents, including those in official churches, have been detained, arrested, or sentenced to prison terms for activities they claimed related to their religious practice, although the Government denied jailing anyone solely because of his or her religion. Local authorities used an administrative process to punish members of unregistered religious groups. Citizens may be sentenced by a nonjudicial panel of police and local authorities to up to three years in reeducation-through-labor camps. Many religious detainees and prisoners were held in such facilities during the period covered by this report. In some areas, security authorities used threats, demolition of unregistered property, extortion, interrogation, detention, and at times beatings and torture to harass leaders of unauthorized groups and their followers. Unregistered religious groups that preach beliefs outside the bounds of officially approved doctrine (such as the imminent coming of the Apocalypse or holy war or groups that have charismatic leaders) often are singled out for particularly severe harassment. Some observers have attributed the unorthodox beliefs of some of these groups to poorly trained clergy and lack of access to religious texts."

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14.07.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Riots after mistreatment of migrant worker in Guiyang ("Unruhen in China") [ID 17054]

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12.07.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

According to AI, son of exiled rights activist Rabiya Kadir subjected tortured and forced to confess criminal plans ("China Accused Of Torturing Exiled Uyghur's Son") [ID 17055]

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23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Torture ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 17361]

"Torture and ill-treatment continued to be reported in a wide variety of state institutions. Common methods included kicking, beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful positions, and sleep and food deprivation. Restricted access to the outside world for detainees and a failure to establish effective mechanisms for complaint and investigation continued to be key factors allowing the practice to flourish."

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12.05.2006 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Shanghai: Petitioners Fu Yuxia, Ma Yalian and Han Zhongming and his wife arbitrary detained and tortured following a meeting of more than a dozen petitioners with an American diplomat on 13 February ("Ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and forced disappearence of petitioners [Case CHN 120506]") [ID 17132]

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29.04.2006 - Source: South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre

Report on outcomes of mission of UN Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak to China in December 2005 ("China’s tortuous path to change [HRF/140/06]") [ID 17133]

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30.03.2006 - Source: Tageszeitung

Missed Aids-activist was in detention; reported about ordeal lasting 6 weeks, probably will suffer lasting harm ("Vermisster war in Haft") [#47846],  [ID 17056]

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10.03.2006 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Advance edited version of report on situation concerning torture and ill-treatment, legal framework and prison conditions, forced "re-education", including individual cases ("Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak; Mission to China [E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6]") [#46990],  [ID 4201]

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10.03.2006 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Report on situation concerning torture and ill-treatment, legal framework and prison conditions, forced "re-education", including individual cases ("Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak; Mission to China [E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6]") [#46990],  [ID 17135]

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10.03.2006 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Serious allegations related to torture and other forms of ill-treatment ("Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak; Mission to China [E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6]") [#46990],  [ID 20003]

"The Special Rapporteur recalls that over the last several years his predecessors have received a number of serious allegations related to torture and other forms of ill-treatment in China, which have been submitted to the Government for its comments. He cautions that such information does not necessarily illustrate the state of torture and ill-treatment in a given country, but rather reflects the state of information brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur. Nevertheless, over a period of time, the number and consistency of the allegations received may be informative.[...]

The methods of torture alleged include, among others: beatings with sticks and batons; use of electric shock batons; cigarette burns; hooding/blindfolding; guard-instructed or permitted beatings by fellow prisoners; use of handcuffs or ankle fetters for extended periods (including in solitary confinement or secure holding areas); submersion in pits of water or sewage; exposure to conditions of extreme heat or cold; being forced to maintain uncomfortable positions, such as sitting, squatting, lying down, or standing for long periods of time, sometimes with objects held under arms; deprivation of sleep, food or water; prolonged solitary confinement; denial of medical treatment and medication; hard labour; and suspension from overhead fixtures with handcuffs. In several cases, the techniques employed have been given particular terminologies, such as the “tiger bench”, where one is forced to sit motionless on a tiny stool a few centimetres off the ground; “reversing an airplane”, where one is forced to bend over while holding legs straight, feet close together and arms lifted high; or “exhausting an eagle”, where one is forced to stand on a tall stool and subjected to beatings until exhaustion. Several of these forms of torture have been corroborated by studies carried out by Chinese academics. On the basis of the information he received during his mission, the Special Rapporteur confirms that many of these methods of torture have been used in China."

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10.03.2006 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Effectiveness of efforts to reduce the practice of torture is significantly hampered by the degree of localism inherent in policing and criminal procedure at the grass-roots level ("Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak; Mission to China [E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6]") [#46990],  [ID 20004]

"Although the central Government has made significant efforts to reduce the practice of torture (as noted above), the effectiveness of these efforts is significantly hampered by the degree of localism inherent in policing and criminal procedure at the grass-roots level, which impedes the effective implementation of central regulations, guidance, training, prohibitions, etc. Although the Ministry of Public Security formally exercises leadership over nationwide public security work, local Party Committees enjoy substantial authority to interpret and implement policy in their regions including by exercising leadership over respective Public Security Bureaux (PSBs). This results in localized and semi-autonomous police forces shaped by local power balances and economic resources, with accountability to local political leaders. This situation is aggravated by problems of underfunding and poor remuneration for police, particularly in the more economically disadvantaged western provinces.[...]

Other serious shortcomings are the lack of an independent monitoring mechanism of all places of detention and a functional complaints mechanism. While there is no shortage of internal oversight mechanisms in China’s law enforcement system, it must be noted that these are not independent, nor are they publicly perceived as independent. These include the Communist Party Committee that, along with Government’s political and personnel departments, oversees hiring, firing, review and promotion in every Public Security Bureau department; the public security branches of the Party’s Discipline Inspection Committee and the Government’s Ministry of Supervision; the “Masses Letters and Visits Office” that accept and investigate citizens’ complaints within each Public Security Bureau department; and the Procurators. In addition to their lack of independence, these mechanisms are largely ineffective due to the fact that the pressure to crack cases is larger than the incentive to address abuses. Yet priority seems to still be placed on developing systems for internal investigation as opposed to independent monitoring. Complex systems for “allocating responsibility” have been publicized in the police, procuratorate and courts in recent years. It is still unclear what impact these will have in practice, particularly as they will be unlikely to exercise genuine independence from Government institutions and authorities."

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2006 - Source: Standard

Torture of inmates to gain confession, as well as use of these confessions in court, prohibited by law ("Peking will unter Folter erpresste Geständnisse verbieten") [#45308],  [ID 17057]

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23.02.2006 - Source: BBC News

Man jailed over 1989 Tiananmen Square protests released from jail; human rights groups alleged he was tortured in prison ("Tiananmen activist 'mentally ill'") [#44913],  [ID 17058]

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23.02.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Tiananmen dissident Yu Dongyue freed after 16 years in prison for participating in the 1989 pro-democracy movement, but with his mental health impaired ("Torture leaves freed Tiananmen dissident mentally ill [ASA 17/013/2006]") [#44948],  [ID 17134]

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02.11.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Dissident freed after 13 years in Chinese police-run mental asylum; he was forcibly held in Beijing asylum for criminally insane after staging a brief, one-man pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square; he was subjected to abuse in hospital ("China: Political Prisoner Exposes Brutality in Police-Run Mental Hospital") [#38501],  [ID 4202]

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25.10.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Dongshigu, Shandong: human rights defender who is under form of house arrest was reportedly beaten by a group of people; he was injured but denied access to medical treatment; he is believed to be at risk of further abuse ("People`s Republic of China - Further Information on UA 271/05") [#38377],  [ID 4203]

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07.10.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

4 men, all farmers and carpenters from Leping city, Jiangxi province, are at imminent risk of execution; they were allegedly tortured by police to force them to confess; they were convicted of murder, rape, robbery and extortion ("People`s Republic of China - UA 265/05") [#37685],  [ID 4204]

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21.09.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Mao Hengfeng released on completion of her 18-month term of "Re-education through labour"; she was reportedly harassed and beaten ("People`s Republic of China - Further Information on UA 280/04") [#37162],  [ID 4205]

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13.01.2005 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Woman sentenced to 18 months of Re-education Through Labour (RTL) by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau in April 2004, for protesting and petitioning against family planning policies ("Arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Ms. Mao Hengfeng") [#28491],  [ID 4206]

"Ms. Mao Hengfeng is allegedly being subjected to abusive treatment in the RTL camp, including being suspended in mid-air with bound hands and feet, and subjected to severe beatings. It has been reported in November 2004 that police have bound her wrists and ankles with leather straps, and then pulled her limbs while demanding that she acknowledge wrongdoing. On November 18, 2004, at a hearing on her legal action against the authorities for terminating her welfare assistance, Ms. Mao displayed her injuries, but officials have taken no action on her behalf.

In addition, according to the information received, camp officials threatened to reduce her family visits and telephone calls, after she refused to sign a document acknowledging “thought reform”."

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29.12.2004 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

11 members of Falun Gong spiritual movement arrested by Chinese authorities for using the Internet to disseminate photos of the torture some of them have undergone in prison ("11 Falun Gong members arrested for posting torture photos on Internet") [#28027],  [ID 4207]

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02.12.2004 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Free journalist Yu Dongyue has gone insane as a result of being tortured in prison ("Journalist Yu Dongyue reportedly loses his mind after being tortured") [#27440],  [ID 4208]

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08.10.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Woman who was protesting against the ruling, coerced abortion and the treatment she suffered at hands of police ever since, was tortured, severely beaten and sent to labour camp ("Protester against forced abortion sent to prison camp") [#26324],  [ID 4209]

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14.07.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Shangqiu city, Henan province: 4 people, all HIV positive, detained after they tried to protest at inadequate healthcare and other services for those infected with HIV/AIDS in the city/ they may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment ("China - UA 221/04") [#24007],  [ID 4210]

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07.07.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Growing numbers of Uighurs that fled repression are being forcibly returned to China where they face torture and execution ("Fleeing Uighurs forced back to "anti-terror" torture and execution") [#23837],  [ID 4211]

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15.06.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

The Chinese authorities have arbitrarily detained a doctor who treated injured students during the June 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square, his wife and an environmental activist; all 3 are at risk of torture or ill-treatment in custody ("China - UA 200/04") [#23292],  [ID 4212]

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24.10.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

AI: Uighur Shaheer Ali tortured and executed for "terrorist activities" ("China - Further Information on UA 119/02") [#17066],  [ID 4215]

"[...]
The court claimed this group was linked tothe Gulja (Yining) incident of 5 February 1997 which was described as an incident of "beating, smashing and looting". Independent eyewitness reports indicate that the Gulja (Yining) incident was in fact a peaceful demonstration by local people calling for equal treatment for Uighurs which degenerated into violence after security forces fired into the crowd in an attempt to forcibly disperse the protesters. Hundreds were arrested in the aftermath and many were subjected to torture and ill-treatment.
[...]
He also described eight months of torture while imprisoned in Guma (Pishan) County, XUAR in 1994, including being beaten with shackles, shocked in an electric chair and being kicked unconscious."

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10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Country Assessment - October 2003 - Torture ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4216]

"6.6. The use of torture and degrading treatment in dealing with detainees is prohibited by law, but systemic weaknesses (such as the reliance on confession evidence) encourages its unofficial use. There have been a number of reports alleging that confessions were obtained by torture and of witness statements made under torture or duress.

6.7. In June 1998 it was reported that the Supreme People's Procuratorate published a series of books designed to improve police practices and further legal reforms. The books admitted that people have been tortured to death while in police custody. In August 2003, China's public security minister, Zhou Yongkang, was reported as urging the police to respect human rights and end the use of arrest quota. It was alleged that this had resulted in the rounding up of drug addicts, HIV/AIDS suffers and migrant workers by the police in order to meet their quotas.

6.8. An Amnesty International (AI) report of 12 February 2001 alleged that torture is widespread and systematic in PRC. The report alleged that there was "a growing range of officials... being cited as perpetrators of torture", and many abusing powers of investigation for corrupt purposes. [6w][9bq] The PRC rebuttal claimed that the allegations were "groundless", "rumour and hearsay"

6.9. For the period January to December 2002 Amnesty International (AI) alleged that 'Human Rights violations continued and in some respects the situation deteriorated.' In June 2003, however, they welcomed the decision by the PRC government to abolish the form of detention known as “Custody and Repatriation”, which it claimed had led to the widespread mistreatment of vagrants and other vulnerable groups.

6.10. A number of prominent dissidents have been released in 2002 and early 2003. These include Tibetans, Ngawang Choephel, Jigme Sangpo, Ngawang Sangdrol, Tenzin Thubten, Ngawang Choekyi, Ngawang Choezom and Gyaltsen Drolkar and the co-founder of the China Democratic Party (CDP) Xu Wenli (US State Department). However over 1000 people are still serving sentences under the now defunct Law Against Counter-revolutionary Activity. Concern has also been expressed about the extension of the 'strike hard' campaign against organised crime to include separatists in Xinjiang (XUAR) and members of Falun Gong."

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06.06.2003 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

OMCT: Reporter and editor, imprisoned for 2 years without trial, began a hunger strike to protest against his ill-treatment and torture in custody ("China: torture, hunger strike and harsh sentencing of 4 internet activists [Case CHN 060603]") [#13362],  [ID 4220]

"The four men have reportedly been subjected to ill-treatment and torture during their two year detention without trial, as they have refused to accept their guilt concerning these charges. Xu Wei, who is reported as being particularly stubborn, suffered the harshest treatment, including brutal beatings and electric shocks to his genitals, which have resulted in numbness of the lower body. The four men have reported their treatment to the authorities but have received no response. Attempts by members of their families to pass messages to the men have been blocked, with one official responding "There are no human rights now. These are unusual times – the time of SARS. Don’t you know?""

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28.05.2003 - Source: BBC News

Guangdong: student beaten to death in a holding centre for illegal migrants ("Chinese anger at student's death") [#13113],  [ID 4221]

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31.03.2003 - Source: US Department of State

USDOS: While the law prohibits torture, police and other security forces continue to extort confessions through torture ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002") [#11835],  [ID 4222]

"The law prohibits torture; however, police and other elements of the security apparatus employed torture and degrading treatment in dealing with some detainees and prisoners. The Prison Law forbids prison guards from extorting confessions by torture, insulting prisoners' dignity, and beating or encouraging others to beat prisoners. While senior Chinese officials acknowledged that torture and coerced confessions were chronic problems, they did not take sufficient measures to end these practices. Former detainees reported credibly that officials used electric shocks, prolonged periods of solitary confinement, incommunicado detention, beatings, shackles, and other forms of abuse. Persons detained pending trial were particularly at risk due to systemic weaknesses in the legal system and lack of implementation of the Criminal Procedure Law. Reports of torture increased during the ongoing strike hard campaign against crime in which police were encouraged to achieve quick results.

During the year, deaths in custody due to police use of torture to coerce confessions from criminal suspects continued to be a problem. For example, Zeng Lingyun, a villager in Longxing Town, Chongqing Municipality, was detained by public security personnel on July 26 on suspicion of petty theft. On July 28, Zeng's family was informed that Zeng had died. When they examined the body, they noticed extensive bruises and a bullet wound. Local officials initially told Zeng's family that he had been shot by police. They later claimed to be investigating the case, but refused to answer questions posed by foreign NGOs. As of year's end, the case had not been resolved. Since the crackdown on Falun Gong began in 1999, there reportedly have been several hundred deaths in custody of FLG adherents, due to torture, abuse, and neglect. A 2001 pilot program in Liaoning Province, intended to institute the right to remain silent in criminal trials as a way to combat torture, was discontinued. In September 2000, the National People's Congress (NPC) carried out an independent study of the use of torture in Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Hebei, and Shaanxi. The group discovered 221 cases of confessions coerced by torture and 21 criminal suspects who died as a result of the torture."

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text with hyperlinks

27.01.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

AI: Ill-treatment and torture of alleged political offenders ("People's Republic of China: Amnesty International condemns execution of Tibetan, following unfair trial") [#10498],  [ID 4223]

"[...]
At least ten other people were reportedly detained in connection with the case. Several were apparently beaten or otherwise tortured and ill-treated in police custody, although it is not known whether their testimonies were used to convict Lobsang Dhondup or Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche. Two young monks who were reportedly interrogated and beaten by the police in connection with the case have not been seen since 8 April 2002.
[...]
Tserang Dondrup is reported to have lost most movement or flexibility in his legs since his arrest, possibly as a result of torture or ill-treatment."

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