Cao Shunli
Chinese activist Cao Shunli dies after being denied medical help, says website
China: Detained to Death
China activist Cao Shunli 'disappears', says rights group
Cao Shunli was a Chinese human rights defender who called for greater citizen involvement in China's Universal Periodic Review and the drafting of its human rights reports. As a result of this advocacy she was harassed, interrogated and detained on several occasions. In September 2013 she was detained as she attempted to leave the country to attend a training session in Geneva on UN human rights mechanisms. Following prolonged denial of adequate medical attention by the Chinese authorities and despite repeated appeals for her release on medical parole due to her rapidly deteriorating health, Cao Shunli died in hospital in Beijing on 14 March 2014.
Chinese HRDs face intimidation, harassment, house arrest, abductions, torture and imprisonment. They also work under very restrictive legislation, including laws which criminalize all unauthorized demonstrations and require government sponsorship for NGO registration, which is refused to any organisation touching on human rights issues. Widescale investigations into NGOs with links to overseas organisations took place in 2014 and 2015 resulting in harassment, detentions and forced closures.
