Rights group, relatives accuse China of using torture in prison
China persists in using torture on prisoners to force confessions, including beatings and withholding medical care, a human rights group said Wednesday, with the daughter of one detainee telling AFP her mother fears she will die in jail. China’s opaque justice system has long been criticised over the disappearance of defendants, the targeting of dissidents […]
A human rights organization has accused China of employing torture tactics against prisoners to elicit confessions, such as beatings and denying medical care, according to a report released Wednesday. The Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) group investigated 209 prisoners between 2016 and 2025 who claimed they were tortured while detained, even though it is illegal.
The detainees were subjected to various forms of abuse, with 20% stating they were beaten and 15% reporting they were tortured to force confessions. Additionally, 35% of the prisoners said they received subpar medical care, resulting in 16 deaths behind bars.
One notable case is that of Yin Dengzhen, a 58-year-old former vegetable seller serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." Her daughter, Xia Beibei, expressed her concern to AFP, stating that her mother fears death in jail while being denied proper medical treatment. Despite Yin's severe lymphoma and malnourished state, Chinese authorities claimed she was "in good health" and transferred her to a women's prison in Wuhan.
The CHRD report, titled "Swept Under the Rug: Systemic Failures to End Torture in the People's Republic of China," documented cases of torture and mistreatment in every province and special administrative region of China, except Macau. The report found that Beijing consistently denies allegations of torture and fails to investigate or punish those responsible, allowing the abuse to continue unchecked.
Written by urgent.news from Hong Kong Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Rights group, relatives accuse China of using torture in prison hongkongfp.com
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