China Cracking Down on ‘Black Jails’

Posted on Sep 27, 2010

Flickr / d. FUKA

Chinese authorities are investigating a private company that is accused of taking payments from local officials to imprison and abuse disgruntled constituents. China has a long tradition of oppressed provincials making pilgrimages to seek redress in the capital.

China also has a reputation for jailing dissidents, but this case suggests the problem might not be so centralized.  —PZS

BBC:

State media said police had arrested the chairman and general manager of the company, Anyuanding Security Services.

It is alleged they took money from local governments to abduct and imprison people who travelled to the capital, Beijing, to complain about local injustices.

The company denies this.

Human rights groups say China has hundreds of such jails, and detainees are often subject to abuse—but the Chinese government has repeatedly denied they exist.

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