GENEVA – A group of UN experts, including Maina Kiai, today expressed their dismay concerning the death of Cao Shunli in hospital on 14 March, and extended their sincere condolences to her family and friends. Ms. Cao was a prominent human rights activist in China who had tirelessly campaigned since 2008 for transparency and greater participation of civil society in the second universal periodic review (UPR) of China’s human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council. On 14 September 2013, Ms. Cao was prevented by Chinese authorities from boarding a flight from Beijing to Geneva where she was to participate in a human rights seminar and observe China’s UPR. Ms. Cao’s whereabouts were unknown until she was charged with the crime of "creating a disturbance." Her health deteriorated while she was in detention and she was transferred to hospital in a critical condition on 19 February 2014. Ms. Cao’s enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, failing health and the fact that she was denied medical care were brought to the attention of the UN experts who transmitted urgent appeals to China. A group of UN human rights experts issued public statement (“UN experts alarmed by reprisals against activists linked to China’s international human rights review”) on 16 October 2013. A... Continue reading →
