Action plan to protect detainees

Source: China Daily | 04-14-2009 08:53

China's first-ever human rights action plan promises to treat detainees better and ban extraction of confessions by torture.

The National Human Rights Action Plan (2009-10) also prohibits corporal punishment or abuse of detainees, following reports of several unnatural deaths of people in police custody recently.

According to the plan released by the State Council Information Office:

There must be a physical barrier between detainees and interrogators during questioning.

Detainees shall be subject to physical examinations before and after interrogation to prevent abuse.

Detainees and their families must be told about their rights as well as law-enforcement procedures.

Police, prosecutors and jail guards shall receive training on how to respect human rights.

If detainees have complaints, they can report through the complaint box set up in their cells; or ask for a meeting with the procurator stationed in a prison or detention house.

The measures closely follow a series of deaths of inmates at detention houses nationwide, suspected to have been caused by bullying or torture.