On Saturday 28 January, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service called on the Chinese authorities to investigate, "without delay", the account of torture in the case of human rights lawyer Xie Yang and the allegations of torture in the cases of lawyers Li Heping and Wang Quanzhang.
According to his lawyer, Xie Yang has been chained to a metal chair, sexually assaulted, and deprived of sleep and sunlight. Li Heping and Wang Quanzhang have reportedly been tortured, especially by electrocution. Their families are also said to be suffering harassment.
Highlighting recent information regarding the "serious" mistreatment of these lawyers, the EEAS spokesperson said that if this mistreatment was confirmed, it "would amount to torture". "Pursuant to Article 18 of China's criminal procedure law, if the accounts of mistreatment or torture are confirmed, this should result in the punishment of the responsible persons", the EEAS spokesperson added. "In the meantime, all necessary measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of these individuals need to be taken", the spokesperson continued, saying that in its December 2015 review of China, the UN Committee Against Torture had expressed serious concern over reports about the practice of torture and ill-treatment in China's criminal justice system.
Elsewhere, the EEAS spokesperson described the release of human rights lawyers Xie Yanyi and Li Chunfu as "a positive step", and reiterated the EU's call for the release of the lawyers and human rights defenders who remain in detention, "including Jiang Tianyong". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)