2. China
Points: 3
Areas of human rights violation as identified by HRW: human rights defenders; freedom of expression; freedom of religion; women’s rights; disability rights; sexual orientation and gender identity.
Imprisonment and torture
Latest available data show that in 2009, 650,000 were held in prison while waiting for a trial. While there are no records on the number of pre-trial detainees in China today, HRW points that numerous activists, lawyers, journalists are arrested across Chine under broadly defined charges only because they criticized state’s actions. China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group reports that by the end of December last year “at least 316 lawyers, law firm staff, human right activists and family members have been questioned, summoned, forbidden to leave the country, held under house arrest, residential surveillance, criminally detained, arrested or have disappeared.” Eleven detainees who are arrested under charges “subversion of state power,” and “inciting subversion of state power” will very likely face prosecution and conviction.
Torture
Former Chinese police officer describes the treatment of inmates in the following way: “Torture to extract confession has become an unspoken rule, it is very common.” Stories of those who went through penal institutions confirm his words. People die in prisons as a result of regular abuses or denial of medical care.
Freedom of expression
Besides media, China is trying to subject its citizens’ online communication to harsh censorship. Last year, the government drafted the law under which domestic and foreign Internet companies will have to practice censorship, register users’ real names, localize data, and aid government surveillance. Additionally, the government planned to put police officers in major Internet companies in order to prevent “spreading rumors” online.
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