China to improve human rights protection of detainees

BEIJING - The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) will launch a nationwide campaign to improve human rights protection of detainees, the SPP said in a statement Thursday.

The campaign, which runs from April 2018 to December 2019, will focus on protecting detainees' rights to rewards and rest, and their rights to meet lawyers and obtain remuneration for labor, according to the statement.

Prosecution organs at various levels should increase supervision and stop illegal practices such as bullying, physical punishment and abuse in prisons, it said.

More efforts should be made to ensure safety of custody areas and improve procedures undertaken after the death of detainees, it said.

Prosecution authorities at all levels should detect loopholes in protecting the rights and interests of detainees and report them to courts, public security agencies, judicial and administrative organs at the same level, it said.

The SPP asked all prosecution organs to strengthen protection of human rights, prevent illegalities harming the rights and interests of detainees, and better safeguard social security.