《TAIPEI TIMES》 China pushed to free advocate

RELEASE COMPROMISED: Human rights advocate Lee Ming-che could be kept in China two years beyond his release date in conditions that groups called inhumane

By Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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Human rights groups yesterday expressed concern that Beijing could conceive a way to extend Lee Ming-che’s （李明哲） prison term after the Taiwanese human rights advocate completes his sentence in China next month.

Lee was detained in March 2017 while traveling in China and convicted of subverting state power six months later by a court in Hunan Province, for which he was to serve a five-year sentence of imprisonment.

A coalition of human rights groups said that Lee’s release was not guaranteed as his wife, Lee Ching-yu （李淨瑜）, never received a copy of the verdict nor the date of her husband’s release from Chinese authorities, they said at a news conference outside of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.

Conditions of the facility where Lee Ming-che has been incarcerated are “inhumane,” as he was deprived of warm clothing, served spoiled food and denied phone calls and visits, Amnesty International Taiwan secretary-general Chiu Ee-ling （邱伊翎） said.

Lee Ching-yu tried to visit her husband 16 times since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and was refused each time, Chiu said.

Amnesty International called for Beijing to confirm the date of Lee Ming-che’s release and not prolong his incarceration, Chiu said, adding that failure to release the man will result in large-scale protests by the organization.

A suspension of political rights for two years following the five-year prison term was included in the sentence, meaning that Lee Ming-che could be prevented from leaving China before April 2024, Taipei Bar Association human rights committee chairman Chiang Jung-hsiang （江榮祥） said.

“If Beijing stops Lee Ming-che from exercising his civil rights in Taiwan by keeping him detained in China, it would sever his connection with society and impose economic hardships that constitute cruel and unusual punishment,” he said.

Covenants Watch convener Huang Song-lih （黃嵩立） said that four other Taiwanese — Morrison Lee （李孟居）, Shih Cheng-ping （施正屏）, Tsai Chin-shu （蔡金樹） and Cheng Yu-chin （鄭宇欽） — have also been imprisoned in China on unfounded charges of espionage.

Beijing should allow observers access to the prisoners to determine their well-being, he said, adding that Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council should speak publicly about the cases.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES