Abuse prosecutions rise 13.3%
10/3/2005 8:33
China prosecuted 1,595 people working for state organs on charges related
to human rights abuse last year, up 13.3 percent from a year earlier, the
country's chief procurator told parliament yesterday in Beijing.
"The
procuratorial organs have seriously implemented the rule of respect and the
protection of human rights set in the Constitution, and have strengthened the
concept and measures in their fight against criminals and in the protection of
people," said Jia Chunwang, procurator-general of the Supreme People's
Procuratorate of China, in his annual work report to the National People's
Congress.
The supreme Procuratorate established two hot lines last June to
report job-related human rights violations, a major target of procuratorates
from May 2004 to June 2005.
Human rights violations by state organs are
defined by the procuratorate as dereliction of duty that causes serious life and
property loss, illegal detention and search of people, extorting confessions and
collecting evidence by violence, sabotaging elections and infringing on civil
rights of citizens, and maltreating detainees.
The chief procurator also took
specialized action last year to investigate human rights infringement cases by
personnel of state organs.
"A total of 1,595 state personnel were
investigated on charges related to human rights abuse and were handled
accordingly, up 13.3 percent," he said. "The Supreme Procuratorate put the
handling of 82 cases under its direct supervision."
Jia stressed the state
procuratorial organs also strengthened the examination of evidence and were
listening to explanations of suspects and opinions of lawyers when making
approval of arrest and making prosecution in a bid to reduce cases of wrongful
arrest and prosecution.
A host of government officials were also punished or
convicted last year for abusing their power in violating human rights, including
officials responsible for the sales of shoddy milk powder for babies in Anhui
Province and officials responsible for the stampede in Beijing's Miyun
County.
According to the procurator-general, procuratorates at various levels
investigated 43,757 government officials for job-related crimes last
year.
Among cases investigated, 35,031 involved crimes concerning corruption,
bribe-taking and embezzlement of public funds, and 8,726 probed for dereliction
of duties and abuse of power.
The procuratorates prosecuted 30,788 people
involving economic crimes and retrieved 4.56 billion yuan (US$555 million) in
direct economic losses.
Xinhua
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