A United Nations committee has called on China to halt the torture of detainees and oppression of human rights activists, saying the practice remains prevalent. It issued its report after questioning a large Chinese government delegation as part of a two-day hearing. The report gives Beijing one year to make progress towards complying with the Convention Against Torture. The Committee said it remains seriously concerned over consistent reports indicating that the practice of torture and ill-treatment is still deeply entrenched in the criminal justice system, which overly relies on confessions as the basis for convictions.
The committee made up of 10 independent experts said 200 lawyers have been rounded up in China since July, of which at least 25 remain in detention. It also voiced alarm over the high number of deaths in custody.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying defended China’s record in a daily news briefing, saying in recent years China has been promoting the rule of law and has made great efforts in all regards, including on opposing torture.