Arrested Protesters Tortured Regularly: Rights Group

A human rights group, the Civil Rights Observer, has issued a report accusing the police of systematically torturing protesters arrested during Hong Kong's unrest last year, saying interviews it did with some of those detained show they were subjected to "cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment".

The group said it will submit its findings to the United Nations and relevant international civil society groups.

It interviewed 45 people arrested or detained at protest sites between July and November during the anti-government agitation that was sparked by the now-abandoned extradition bill.

The report said 13 of the interviewees reported they were severely assaulted or injured after they'd been arrested, while 15 of them said their access to medical care was delayed, and 16 claimed they couldn’t see their lawyers as quickly as they wanted.

The rights group said three arrestees complained of sexual assault, and nine talked of irregularities during evidence gathering, like being forced to sign and record statements without a lawyer present or being stopped them from giving their names to witnesses at the scene.

None of the interviewees gave their real names in the report to avoid potential retribution.

The group highlighted seven cases, including a man who claimed officers repeatedly slammed his head on the door frame of a police van.

It also said the man said he was subjected to more physical abuse while at the police station and denied a request for a lawyer and to be sent to hospital. The man was eventually taken to hospital, six hours after his arrest and he was admitted to a neurosurgery ward, the group said.

The report also flagged up the case of a man who said he was pinned down to ground though he wasn’t taking part in protests. An officer elbowed him in the throat, leaving him struggling for breath for almost half a minute, the report quoted him as saying.

He was later arrested, and his requests to go to hospital and to see a lawyer were repeatedly ignored, the report said.

In light of its findings, the group urged the government to propose legislative amendments in full conformity with the UN's Committee against Torture.

It said there should be an independent body empowered to carry out effective unannounced visits at all places of police detention, and to safeguard the fundamental rights of detainees.

The founder of the group, Icarus Wong, said the report's findings indicate that Hong Kong has some of the characteristics of a "police state".

"Our human rights and liberty is not guaranteed under the law, and the law enforcement agencies do not respect human rights. So they can do anything they want," Wong said.

He said the government has to launch an independent investigation into alleged police brutality and this would be a first step towards rebuilding trust between the people and the authorities.

RTHK has asked the police for a comment on the report.