NayaChang

Ms.Low
WorldStudies
6May2016
ChinasUseofTortureinPretrialDetention
Introduction
InAugustof2015,severalillustrationswerepublishedinaChinesenewspapershowingChinese
authoritiesforcingaconfessionoutofaninnocentman.Theimagesdetailpolicemendeprivingamanof
sleep,beatinghimwithfistsandelectricbatons,andusingotherobjectsastorturemechanisms.The
subjectofthepicturesisLiuRenwang,whowasconvictedofmurderin2008.Afterbeingforcedinto
confession,hewasfirstsentencedtodeathandthentolifeimprisonment.Mr.Liuappealedin2013and
wasreleased,butnotbeforehebecameavictimofoneofChinasmajorhumanrightviolations.Inan
efforttowincompensationfromthelocalauthoritiesforwhathadbeendonetohim,Mr.Liu
commissionedanartisttodrawpicturesdepictinghisabuse.Healsohopedtheillustrationswouldbring
attentiontotheuseoftortureinpretrialinterrogations.Mr.Liusayshiscruelimprisonmentgreatly
affectedhisfamilyandhimself,stating,Aftertheirinterrogations,myhairturnedgray,myhearingwas
damaged,andmylowerbackcouldnotmoveproperly.Myhealthcollapsed.Icandonothingnow.1

Piao,Vanessa,andAustinRamzy.DrawingsofPoliceTortureSeizeChinasAttention.
TheNewYorkTimes
,August10,
2015.AccessedFebruary26,2016.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/world/asia/drawingsofpolicetorturingasuspectcaptivatechina.html
.
1


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Mr.LiusexperiencedemonstratesChinasviolationofthehumanrighttonotorture.Torture

methods,consistingofbeatings,electricshocks,restraints,sleepdeprivation,exhaustinginterrogations,
andothercrueltreatments,areusedindetentionfacilitiesbeforethesuspectistriedincourt.3 Tortureis
inflictedbypolicefromtheMinistryofPublicSecurity(MPS),whomakeup86percentofChinas
entirepoliceforce.4 BecausetheMPSisinchargeofdetentionfacilities,insteadoftheMinistryof
Justice,whichmanagesprisons,5policehaveeasyandunlimitedaccesstosuspects.Thepolicein
detentionfacilitiesareunsupervisedandallowedtoelicitconfessionsatanycost.
Humanrightsactivistsorlawyers,religiousorethnicminorities,andotherpoliticaldissidentsare
commonvictimsofilltreatmentatthehandsofpolice.6AmnestyInternationalsummarizes,Torturein

RobinsEarly,Nick.SketchesOfTortureDrawAttentionToPoliceAbuseInChina.
TheHuffingtonPost,
August13,
2015.AccessedMarch8,2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chinapolicetorturesketches_us_55cb5de9e4b0f1cbf1e6e8e3
.
3
"HumanRightsSituationinthePeople'sRepublicofChina."InternationalSocietyforHumanRights.AccessedFebruary
11,2016.
http://www.ishr.org/countries/peoplesrepublicofchina/
.
4

TigerChairsandCellBosses:PoliceTortureofCriminalSuspectsinChina
.NewYork:HumanRightsWatch,2015.
AccessedFebruary11,2016.
https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/05/13/tigerchairsandcellbosses/policetorturecriminalsuspectschina#page
.
5
Ibid
6
"TortureinChina:Who,What,WhyandHow."AmnestyInternational.November11,2015.AccessedFebruary11,2016.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/11/tortureinchinawhowhatwhyandhow/
.
2


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Chinaisusedtoachievetwomaingoals:one,toextractconfessionsandobtainevidenceforcriminal
prosecutions,andtheother,topunish.7Thisshowsthatbyutilizingtorture,theChinesecriminaljustice
systemwalksawaywithmanyguiltyconfessions,andbypunishingthosewhothreatenthisarrangement
(e.g.humanrightslawyers),thecruelsystemisheldinplace.
TheChineseCriminalProcedureLawleavesampleroomfortorture,allowingpolicetoholda
suspectinisolateddetainmentforupto37daysbeforebringingthesubjectinfrontoftheprocuratorate,
whichwillfurtherinvestigateacrime.8 Theprocuratorateandjudiciaryhavesignificantlylesspower
andinfluencethenthepolice,andcourtsturnablindeyetotheabusesthepoliceareinflicting.Thisis
clearlyreflectedinresearchbyHumanRightsWatch.Thenonprofitorganizationsearched158,000
verdictsandfound432verdictswithclaimsoftortureofthe432claims,therewasonlyoneprosecution
ofthepolicewhoinflictedtheabuse.Thethreeprosecutedpolicedidnotgotoprisonforanyamountof
time.9 Withnopunishmentforpolicewhoviolatethisright,thetorturecycleisperpetuated.
TheChinesepoliceregularlyextractconfessionsthatdonotexist,eachdayaffectingthelivesof
moreandmoreindividuals.Whileindetention,detaineesrarelyhaveaccesstolawyers,theirfamilies,or
independentdoctors,10 allofwhichcouldprovidemuchneededhelp.LikeLiuRewang,amannamed
NianBingwasheldindetentionafteradmittingtoacrimehedidnotcommit.Aftereightyearsondeath
rowBingwasreleased,butheremainsplaguedbyflashbacksofbeingtorturedindetentionand
reflexivelyassumesthepositionofbeingshackledwhilehesleeps.11 Tortureleaveslastingemotional,

Who,What,Why,andHow
China:TorturebyPoliceDodgesReforms.HumanRightsWatch.May13,2015.AccessedMarch10,2016.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/13/chinatorturepolicedodgesreforms
.
9

TigerChairsandCellBosses
10
Ibid
11

Wang,Maya."ChinaMustBePressedtoEndTorturebyPolice."
TheWashingtonPost
,August21,2015.AccessedMarch
18,2016.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chinamustbepressedtoendtorturebypolice/2015/08/21/faace9de0fb711e5a
dece82f8395c032_story.html
.
8


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mental,andphysicalscarsonthosewhoexperienceit,andwithnorehabilitationorretributionservices
available,victimsandtheirfamiliesforeverbeeffected.
HistoricalBackground
TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightswasadoptedin1948,andarticlefivespecifically
prohibitssubjectingpeopletotorture.12 However,duringtheChineseCulturalRevolutioninthe1960s,
torturewasutilizedinordertoreeducateChinaspopulationandstrengthenthepoweroftheCommunist
party.13Later,tocorrectthisregression,theUnitedNationsadoptedtheConventionAgainstTortureand
OtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishmentin1984(CAT).14 ItwasratifiedbyChina
in1988.15 AlongwiththeConvention,theUnitedNationsimplementedamonitoringbodycalledthe
CommitteeAgainstTorture,which,accordingtotheCAT,shallconsistoftenexpertsofhighmoral
standingandrecognizedcompetenceinthefieldofhumanrightswhoareelectedbystateparties.16The
goaloftheCommitteeistoabolishtortureinternationallybyprovidingconstructivereviewsonthestate
ofthisrightinitsstateparties.
ChinasignedtheConventionsoonafteritwasopenedforsignature,butitacceptedtheterms
withcertainconditions,foreshadowingarockyrelationshipwiththeCommitteeseffortstoabolish
torture.WhenthePeoplesRepublicofChinasignedtheCAT,itstated,(1)TheChineseGovernment
doesnotacknowledgethecompetenceoftheUNCommitteeagainstTorture,asprescribedinarticle20
oftheConvention.(2)TheChineseGovernmentisnotboundbythefirstparagraphofarticle30ofthe
Convention.17Theresponsetoarticle20showsChinadoesnotfeelobligedtoobeytheCommitteeand

UNGeneralAssembly,
UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,
10December1948,217A(III).
"CulturalRevolution."History.com.2009.AccessedMay05,2016.
http://www.history.com/topics/culturalrevolution
.
14
UNGeneralAssembly,
ConventionAgainstTortureandOtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishment
,10
December1984,UnitedNations,TreatySeries,vol.1465,p.85.
15

ChinaandtheCAT.HumanRightsInChina.AccessedApril27,2016.
http://www.hrichina.org/en/chinaandcat
.
16

ConventionAgainstTorture
17
HumanRightsSituation
12
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willnotallowforinvestigationsintoitsterritory.Article30,whichChinaisnotboundto,saysthat
partiesinvolvedindisputesregardinginterpretationorapplicationoftheConventionwillbe
addressedbytheInternationalCourtofJustice.Eventhoughthesecondparagraphofarticle30allows
statepartiestodisregardparagraphoneofthesamearticle,18byrefusingtoaccepttheConventionwith
allitsterms,Chinashowsitisnotcompletelycommittedtogivingupitsdeeprootedpractice.
AlthoughtorturehasprevailedthroughoutChinashistory,itsusagespikedintheearly21st
centuryduetotheincreasingpowerofthepolice.ZhouYongkangwasMinisterofPublicSecurityfrom
2002to2007,andduringthistimeheemphasizedpolicepower.EvenaftertheMinistryofPublic
SecurityanditspoliceforcewereputunderstrictercontroloftheChineseCommunistParty,thepolice
continuetoexhibitunbalancedpower.19
Chinaholdsoneofthehighestconvictionratesintheworld,20 whichclearlyshowsthenatureof
itsjudicialsystem.Acommonprocedureafterarrestsissubjectingprisonerstotortureinordertodraw
outaconfessionandthenhandingthemovertothecourts,whichroutinelyignoreanysignsoftorture.
This,combinedwiththelackofconsequencesforpolicewhoinflicttorture,showswhytheChinese
judicialsystemrunsthewayitdoes.HeJiahong,thedirectoroftheLawofEvidenceResearchInstitute
atRenminUniversityinBeijing,explainswhytheChinesepolicearesoadamantaboutconfessions,and
whythecourtsdeclaresomanyguiltyverdicts.Hesays,Tonailacasewithaconfessionisthesimplest
andmostconvenientway.21 In2013,HumanRightsWatchfoundChinasacquittalratetostandat0.07
percent825outof1,160,00verdicts. 22Thisfigureisextremelylow,makingconvictionrates

18

ConventionAgainstTorture

TigerChairsandCellBosses
20

Jacobs,Andrew."ConvictionRatesCountMoreinChineseJusticeThanInnocence."
TheNewYorkTimes
,May12,2015.
AccessedMarch18,2016.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/world/asia/convictionratescountmoreinchinesejusticethaninnocence.html
.
21
Ibid
22
DodgesReform
19


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extremelyhigh.ThisisduetotheChinesepolicesviewthatacquittalsaretobetreatedas
embarrassments,asbreachestotheirimpenetrableandeffectivesystem.
ModernDayResponses
TheCommitteehasbeenworkingwiththeChinesegovernmentontheissueoftorturesincethe
1980s,butitwastorturecasesin2009and2010thatbroughtthishumanrightviolationtothepublics
attention.23Thegovernmentaddressedthepeoplesconcernsbyannouncingseveralmeasurestoreduce
theuseoftorture.Thesemeasuresincludedbanningcellbosses,inmatesunderorderstocontrolother
detaineesbyforceputtingupbarriersbetweenpoliceinterrogatorsandthesuspects,andimplementing
videocamerasindetentionfacilities.Additionally,arevisiontotheChineseCriminalProcedureLaw
supposedlyguaranteesthediscardmentofevidenceobtainedthroughtorture.24However,these
regulationsareuselesswhenChinesepolicedeliberatelysidestepthelaw.Tortureisnowtakingplacein
otherfacilities,videotapingismanipulated,andcourtscontinuetoomitevidencethattheconfessionwas
coerced.25Withpolicegoingoutoftheirwaytoavoidthelawandcontinuetorturingsuspects,thereis
littlenewregulationscando.
HumanrightsgroupsacrosstheglobeareawareofChinasuseoftortureinpretrialdetention,
butfixingthisproblemhasproventobedifficult.OrganizationslikeAmnestyInternationalandHuman
RightsWatchhavepublishedthoroughreportsaboutthisissue,buttheydonothavethepowertopass
effectivelawsandregulationstocorrecttheseriousflawsinChinascriminaljusticesystem.
ChinaisboundtotheConventionAgainstTorture,andisthereforerequiredtotakecertain
measuresagainsttortureaslistedinthedocument.TheCommitteeAgainstTorturehascarriedoutfour
reviewsinChina,andthecountryiscurrentlyundergoingitsfifth.Reviewcyclesconsistofbackand
23

DodgesReform
Ibid
25
Ibid
24


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forthdiscussionsandresponsesbetweentheCommitteeandChina.TheCommitteepublishedtheir
concludingobservationsonChinainearly2016.26Throughtheirlistofissuesandrecommendations,the
CommitteeaddressesandprovidespossiblesolutionstothedifferentaspectsofChinasviolation,trying
tosteerChinainapositivedirectionregardinghumanrightsprotection.However,thishaslittleimpact
onChinassystems.HumanRightsWatchlistedandanalyzedrecommendationsbyUNcommittees
datingbackto1990nonewerecompletelyadoptedandsomewerealtogetherignored.27However,this
doesnotpreventChinesegovernmentbodiesfrominsistingtheyarecontinuingtoimprovethestatusof
thehumanrighttonotorture.Forexample,theMinistryofPublicSecurityclaimsithasimplemented
theexclusionaryrulesowell,forcedconfessionshavedroppedby87percentsince2012.Thisdoesnot
explainwhyoutof432verdictsfrom2014thatreferencedtorturetoextractconfessions,theevidence
wasonlyexcludedin23cases.28 TheCommitteemonitorsandchecksinwithitsstateparties,butithas
difficultyfixingmajorproblems,suchasthoseofChina.
IntheneighboringterritoryofHongKong,peoplemustbetakenbeforeajudgewithin48hours
ofbeingputindetention.29 ThispolicywouldgreatlybenefitChina,as48hoursisconsiderablylessthan
37days,andtheamountoftorturepossibleintwodays,evenifnotnonexistent,wouldbenotablyless.
HoweverwithChinascurrentviolationsbeingsosevere,cuttingdetentiontimedownby35daysis
unreasonable.
Conclusion:Recommendations
TheChinesejudicialsystemisfarfrommeetinginternationalstandardsandcompletely
abolishingtheuseoftortureinpretrialdetention.However,bytakingsmallbutsignificantstepsinthe

UNCommitteeAgainstTorture(CAT),
ConcludingobservationsonthefifthperiodicreportofChina,
3February2016,
CAT/C/CHN/CO/5.
27

TigerChairsandCellBosses
28
Ibid
29
Wang,PressedtoEndTorture
26


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rightdirection,thecountrycanhopetosomedaydoawaywiththisingrainedpractice.Chinacan
improvethestatusoftherighttonotorturebyshorteningtheamountoftimeasuspectcanbeheldin
pretrialdetention,transferringresponsibilityoverdetentionfacilitiesfromtheMinistryofPublic
SecuritytotheMinistryofJustice,andgivingdetaineesaccesstodoctors.Thesechangeswouldmakeit
harderforpolicetoinflicttortureonsuspectsandwouldbebeneficialtodetainees,overallhelping
Chinatolessenthepracticeoftortureondetainees.
Thetimebetweenformaldetentionandbeingbroughtbeforeajudgeisfartoolong.Thisis37
daysofbeingbeaten,hungbythewrists,forcedintouncomfortablepositions,forcedtositinvarious
torturechairs,andsubjectedtodrawnoutinterrogations.Bythetimesuspectsmakeittothecourtroom,
theyarephysically,mentally,andemotionallydamaged,andthosewhomakeitbackhomewillnever
functionthesame.Whileshorteningdetentionto48hoursmayseemunachievable,consideringhow
muchthepolicerelyonthistimetogainconfessions,cuttingtheamountoftimespentindetentionto
twoweeksisplausible.ChinashouldreviseitsCriminalProcedureLawtoonlypermit14daysof
pretrialdetention.Eveniftorturepersists,theextentitgoestotoday,willnotbereached.Overtime,the
pretrialdetentionperiodcanhopefullybecutto48hours.
BecausetheMinistryofPublicSecurityisinchargeofboththepoliceanddetentionfacilities,it
isabletogivethepolicefullaccesstosuspectsinthestagesofpretrialdetention.TheMinistryofJustice
controlsprisons,soitmakessenseforittoalsocontroldetentionfacilities.TheChineseCommunist
PartyshouldtransferpowerofdetentionfacilitiestotheMinistryofJustice,ensuringpolicewillhaveto
gainpermissionbeforeseeingsuspects,insteadofcreatingimpromptuinterrogationsessions.Withthe
policeanddetentioncentersbeingcontrolledbydifferentbodies,policeinvestigationwilllessen,asthey
willnolongerpossessthepowertoenterandexitthefacilitieshowevertheychoose.


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Accesstoindependentdoctorswouldgreatlybenefitvictimswhohavephysical,orevenmental,
injuryinflicteduponthem.Propertreatmentcouldlessenlongtermdamageandprovideneeded
rehabilitationservices.Suspectsareallowedmedicalexaminationsbeforebeingadmittedtoadetention
facilityandbeforeleaving,butbecausethesedoctorsarecontrolledbythepolice,theydonotdraw
attentiontotheobvioussignsoftortureonthesuspects.30 Independentdoctorscouldbeavitalstepin
combattingtorture,asmostdoctorsindetentionfacilitiesareeithersidedwiththepoliceorareafraidof
challengingthepolice.TheMinistryofHealthshouldteachdoctorshowtoidentifysignsofabusewhile
examiningdetainees,andagoodideabyHumanRightsWatchisforthedoctorstothensubmit
anonymousreportsonthesecases.31Anonymitywouldprotectdoctorsfrompunishment,whilebringing
attentiontovictimsindetention.Chinaisfarfromwipingouttorture,butthesespecificmeasuresshould
immediatelybetakentoreducethesufferingofmoresuspectsandtobringChinashumanrights
situationinlinewiththeforwardprogressionofthemodernworld.

30

TigerChairsandCellBosses
Ibid

31


Chang10

WorksCited
ChinaandtheCAT.HumanRightsInChina.AccessedApril27,2016.
http://www.hrichina.org/en/chinaandcat
.
China:TorturebyPoliceDodgesReforms.HumanRightsWatch.May13,2015.AccessedMarch10,
2016.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/13/chinatorturepolicedodgesreforms
.
"CulturalRevolution."History.com.2009.AccessedMay05,2016.
http://www.history.com/topics/culturalrevolution
.
"HumanRightsSituationinthePeople'sRepublicofChina."InternationalSocietyforHumanRights.
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.
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TheNewYork
Times
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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/world/asia/drawingsofpolicetorturingasuspectcaptivate
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.
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.
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TheHuffington
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chinapolicetorturesketches_us_55cb5de9e4b0f1cbf1e6e
8e3
.


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TigerChairsandCellBosses:PoliceTortureofCriminalSuspectsinChina
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https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/05/13/tigerchairsandcellbosses/policetorturecriminalsusp
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.
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.
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3
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ConventionAgainstTortureandOtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatment
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.