China may extend human rights advocate Lee Ming-che's prison term

Human rights advocate Lee Ming-che could be kept in China two years beyond his release date in conditions that human rights groups called "inhumane".

Human rights groups on Friday expressed concern that Beijing could conceive a way to extend Lee Ming-che's prison term after the Taiwanese human rights advocate completes his sentence in China next month, reported Taipei Times.

Lee was detained in March 2017 while travelling 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, 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 said, reported Taipei Times.

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, reported Taipei Times.

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 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 said that four other Taiwanese -- Morrison Lee, Shih Cheng-ping, Tsai Chin-shu and Cheng Yu-chin -- have also been imprisoned in China on unfounded charges of espionage.

( With inputs from ANI )