China prosecuted a total of 1,595 people working for state organs on charges related to human rights abuse last year, up 13.3 percent from a year ago, China's chief procurator told the NPC Wednesday.
"The procuratorial organs have seriously implement the rule of respect and protect human rights set in the Constitution, and have strengthened the concept and measures in their fight against criminals and in protection of the 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 People's Procuratorate established two hotlines last June to hear reports of job-related human rights violations, a major target of China's 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 losses, 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.
China's chief procurator took a specialized action last year to investigate into human rights infringement cases by personnel of state organs.
"A total number of 1,595 state personnel were investigated on charges related to human rights abuse and handled accordingly, up 13.3 percent," he said. "The Supreme People's Procuratorate put the handling of a total 82 major cases under its direct supervision."
The chief procurator stressed the state procuratorial organs have also strengthened the examination of evidence and listening to explanations of the suspects and opinions of lawyers when making approval of arrest and making prosecution in a bid to reduce cases of wrong arrest and prosecution.
China has been beefing up efforts in human rights protection. The amendments to the Constitution, adopted by China's top legislature in March this year, stipulate that "the state respects and safeguards human rights."
A host of government officials punished or convicted last year for abusing their power to violate human rights, including officials responsible for rampant sales of shoddy milk powder for babies in east China's Anhui Province and officials responsible for the stampede accident in Beijing's suburban Miyun County.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2005)
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