{
  "id": 7697367,
  "title": "Rights group, relatives accuse China of using torture in prison",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/rights-group-relatives-accuse-china-of-using-torture-in-prison-7697367",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T03:42:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/16/rights-group-relatives-accuse-china-of-using-torture-in-prison/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A human rights organization has accused China of utilizing torture on prisoners in order to coerce confessions, including physical abuse and denial of medical care, a report released on Wednesday revealed. The Chinese Human Rights Defenders group examined the accounts of 209 prisoners between 2016 and 2025 who claimed they endured torture and mistreatment while incarcerated in China, despite the country's laws prohibiting such actions. Among the detainees, one-fifth reported being beaten, 15 percent acknowledged being tortured to extract confessions, and 35 percent stated they received inadequate medical attention, with 16 deaths resulting from the deprivation. The daughter of one detainee, Yin Dengzhen, disclosed to AFP that her mother, a former vegetable vendor serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence for \"picking quarrels and provoking trouble,\" fears for her life due to her critical condition. Despite Yin's lymphoma and her dramatic weight loss, authorities dismissed her pleas for medical assistance and maintained she was \"in good health\" upon her transfer to a Wuhan women's prison. Her daughter alleged that authorities concealed her mother's worsening health, even as she grew increasingly pessimistic about her situation. Yin's daughter contended that her mother believed the authorities' justification for her imprisonment was to ensure she would not survive in jail. The report, titled \"Swept Under the Rug: Systemic Failures to End Torture in the People's Republic of China,\" documented cases of torture in every province and special administrative region of China, except for Macau. Chinese law mandates up to three years in prison for torture and forcing confessions through violence, with harsher penalties if the acts result in injury or death. Despite China being a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture, the report revealed Beijing's consistent refusal to investigate and prosecute allegations, often leading to additional punishment for those who dared to complain. The CHRD concluded that Beijing's stance on torture remains combative and obstructive, weakening domestic legal systems and enabling torture to persist.",
  "summary": "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 […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Chinese Human Rights Defenders accuse China of using torture in prisons.",
    "One-fifth of 209 examined prisoners reported being beaten during interrogations."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This development highlights China's failure to uphold its laws and international commitments against torture, allowing systemic mistreatment of prisoners to persist and putting vulnerable detainees at risk of severe harm.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "S. Korea expands China routes, gives more flight rights to LCCs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/s-korea-expands-china-routes-gives-more-flight-rights-to-lccs",
        "published": "2026-09-15T23:47:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korea expands China routes, gives more flight rights to LCCs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/korea-expands-china-routes-gives-more-flight-rights-to-lccs",
        "published": "2026-09-15T23:57:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Rights group, relatives accuse China of using torture in prison",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/rights-group-relatives-accuse-china-of-using-torture-in-prison",
        "published": "2026-09-16T03:42:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}