From the International Herald Tribune:
A high-level UN investigator condemned what he found to be “widespread” use of torture in the judicial system of mainland China and said Beijing must overhaul its criminal laws, grant more power to judges and abolish labor camps before it can end such abuses, according to an official report released Friday.
The investigation, conducted by Manfred Nowak, a special investigator for the UN Commission on Human Rights who focuses on torture, noted some progress by Chinese officials in reducing violence against prisoners since the country signed an international covenant banning torture in 1988.
But Nowak said that “obtaining confessions” and fighting “deviant behavior” continue to be central goals of the Chinese criminal justice system.
See also “UN torture rapporteur’s China tour ‘smooth’: Chinese FM spokesman” from People’s Daily and the full statement issued by Mr. Manfred Nowak at the end of his China visit.
