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| China releases US human rights record in 2002 （5） |
| CCTV.COM 2003-04-03 14:04:27 |
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In 2002 the number of monthly arrests increased by 15 percent over the previous year to 7,832. Prosecutors declined to charge in 24 percent of the cases. Two－thirds of the cases they dropped were dropped on the day of arrest because they could not be proved in court （May 9, 2002, Sun）.
Within half a year after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the FBI detained for security reasons more than 1,200 non－US nationals, mainly men from Muslim or Middle Eastern countries （Washington, Dec.10, 2002, EFE）. Most of them were detained for overstaying their visas, and according to rules the detention should last for no more than 48 hours. However, many were actually held in custody for a month or more, or even up to 50 days.
While in custody, they were deprived of their basic rights －－ making phone calls, access to a lawyer, family visits, being informed of the reasons for the detention, or challenging the lawfulness of the detention.
They were let out for exercise and air less than an hour a day. Many were handcuffed, and some were even bundled. Those falling ill could not get timely medical treatment.
In many cases torture was used to extract confessions, and unjust charges were often reported in the United States. According to a Reuters report on February 11, 2002, US authorities confirmed that over 200 inmates had been wrongly convicted since 1973； among them 99 inmates on death row had been proved innocent, but most of them had not got compensations （Washington, Feb.11, 2002, Reuters）.
Ray Krone walked out an Arizona courtroom a free man in April 2002 after spending 10 years and three months in prison, with more than two years in the death cell （USA Today, June 18, 2002）. Yet, he could hardly obtain any compensation from the state government in accordance with state laws.
A black man in Detroit, named Eddie Joe Lloyd, served a term of 17 years, three months and five days in jail on a charge of raping and murdering a teenage girl before he was freed in August 2002 （New York Times, Aug. 27, 2002）. （more）
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Editor: Yang Feiyang Source:Xinhua
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