China criticizes call by UN rights envoy for activist’s release

YemenExtra

Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said on Thursday” UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, had interfered with his country’s judicial sovereignty by including a plea for the release of lawyer and activist Jiang Tianyong”.

“The special rapporteur referenced certain human rights defenders in his report and in so doing he has overstepped his mandate and meddled with China’s judicial sovereignty,” Chinese diplomat added in an address to a Geneva forum on rights.”

The envoy hailed the “objective and fair” nature of the report by Alston, which commended China for achievements in fighting poverty. However, he said that China would not allow individuals to cover up their activities “using the banner of human rights.”

Despite praising China’s rapid pace in economic development, Alston said in his report that inequality was still “high and is rising” in the country.

The UN official also lamented that space for the expression of views that differ from those of the ruling party was shrinking in China, calling on the authorities to release the activist, whom Alston met in Beijing during a trip to China in August.

Alston said China’s charge of subversion of state power against Jiang was “extremely serious” and “the equivalent of a legal sledgehammer”. The Australian professor on international law rejected China’s claims that calls for the release of an activist could violate a country’s judicial sovereignty.