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STORY: GENEVA / HUMAN RIGHTS CHINA
TRT: 01:02
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 FEBRUARY 2016 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations:
“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is today raising concerns and about the recent arrests of lawyers, and harassment and intimidation of government critics and NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) workers in China, describing it as a very worrying pattern that had serious implications for civil society and the important work they do across the country.”
4. Med shot, presser
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations:
“The High Commissioner appreciates the opportunity he had to discuss these issues with Chinese officials here in Geneva, and he acknowledges their efforts to clarify the matters at stake. However, the responses he received indicated the authorities –and I quote- too often reflexively confused the legitimate role of lawyers and activists with threats to public order and security.”
6. Close up, hands typing
7. Med shot, dais
The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed his deep concern over the recent arrest of lawyers and the harassment and intimidation of government critics and NGO workers in China.
In a statement read by his spokesperson today (16 Feb) in Geneva, Zeid said that "we are seeing a very worrying pattern in China that has serious implications for civil society and the important work they do across the country."
He also said that he appreciated the opportunity to raise such cases with Chinese officials in Geneva and acknowledged their efforts to clarify the matters at issue. However, he said that the responses he received indicate that the authorities too often reflexively confuse the legitimate role of lawyers and activists with threats to public order and security.
According to the UN Office of Human Rights (OHCHR), the police had detained about 250 human rights lawyers, legal assistants, and activists across the country since a nationwide crackdown had begun in July 2015, although many had been subsequently released.
In January 2016, 15 additional human rights lawyers had been formally arrested, ten of them for the crime of subversion of state power, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
