China wrongly detained three human rights activists, UN experts say

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This was published 6 years ago

China wrongly detained three human rights activists, UN experts say

By Nick Cumming-Bruce
Updated

Geneva: A UN human rights panel has told China that it wrongfully arrested three prominent human rights activists accused of subversion and called on the government to release and compensate them.

The men were arrested as part of a widespread crackdown on human rights activists -- and the lawyers representing them -- that President Xi Jinping unleashed in 2015.

Hu Shigen in the dock. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Hu Shigen in the dock. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.Credit: Weibo

The UN panel, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, made up of five independent experts, said Hu Shigen, Zhou Shifeng and Xie Yang had been punished for promoting human rights.

It said their treatment did not conform with China's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urged Beijing to consider amending its laws to bring them into conformity with international norms.

Xie Yang

Xie Yang

"The appropriate remedy would be to release Hu Shigen, Zhou Shifeng and Xie Yang immediately, and accord them an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations," the group concluded.

The findings were contained in a 12-page document first reported Friday by The Guardian. They have not been publicly released, but UN officials in Geneva confirmed the document's authenticity.

The findings represent a sharp rebuke of China's treatment of the activists that will be all the more unwelcome to Beijing, as it coincides with a weeklong Communist Party congress setting China's course for the next five years -- an event choreographed to avoid any signs of dissent or disaffection.

Hundreds of people have been questioned and detained as part of Xi's crackdown.

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Zhou Shifeng

Zhou Shifeng

Xie, a 45-year-old lawyer who had defended mainland supporters of Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, was arrested in July 2015 and held in isolation in a secret detention centre.

Hu, 62, an outspoken advocate of religious freedom and democracy who led several underground churches and had served a 16-year prison term, was sentenced last year to 7 1/2 years in prison.

Zhou, 53, described by prosecutors as a radical who conspired with foreign governments and rights groups to take on cases that undermined the Communist Party, was sentenced last year to seven years in prison.

New York Times

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