'Human Rights Watch's report on China lacks objectivity, impartiality'

Beijing, Jan 29(ANI): The World Report 2012 report released by the New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch lacks objectivity and impartiality in examining China's human rights scenario, a report in a Chinese daily has said.

A China Daily report accused the Human Right Watch of giving an incorrect picture of Chinese judicial system.

It clarified that China's criminal justice system is controlled by procuratorial organs and people's courts rather than public security departments.

"The report says the public security departments dominate the criminal justice system and rely excessively on the defendant's confession. The weak courts and seriously limited rights of defense mean forced confession is still universal and judicial partiality is common. This is serious distortion," the China Daily report said.

It added that proposals for prosecution by public security departments are required to e examined by procuratorial organs before being recommended to the court to initiate a public prosecution, a measure which restricts the power of government.

The newspaper report added that the excessive dependence on defendants' confessions is decreasing remarkably and forced confessions are strictly forbidden.

It also cited the 2011 draft amendment which requires the public security departments to present detention warrants when detaining anyone and notify the detained person's family about the detention reason and the detention center location within 24 hours after detention, except for serious crimes such as those endangering national security, terrorist crimes.

It also said that China has made significant progress in judicial reform in 2011 in terms of enalty, state compensation, mediation, trial management and implementation procedure.

"It is a pity the report of Human Rights Watch turned a blind eye to all these positive steps and Chinese authorities' effort to promote judicial reforms, and only focuses on some non-existent articles," the newspaper report concluded. (ANI)