The US-based Formosan Association for Human Rights (FAHR) in a letter on Saturday condemned the “inhuman imprisonment conditions” faced by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and called on the Presidential Office and Ministry of Justice to “set aside political motives” and grant Chen the hospital stay he needs to return to full health.
Chen, who is serving a 17-and-a-half-year prison sentence for corruption, was granted a temporary release from Taipei Prison on Tuesday for a medical checkup at Taoyuan General Hospital because of heath concerns. A series of tests revealed that he was suffering from an acute coronary syndrome and significantly reduced blood flow to the heart, a potentially fatal condition, the letter said.
Taipei Prison ignored Chen’s repeated requests for a hospital checkup for a month until pressure from 13 legislators persuaded it to relent, it said.
However, the prison authorities had planned to return Chen to prison immediately after the checkup.
Chen is currently in the intensive care unit after undergoing an urgent cardiac catheterization procedure on Wednesday. A small tumor was also found on his prostate during the examination.
“FAHR also calls for the opposition parties and people in Taiwan not to tolerate such inhuman treatment of a former president by the current [Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)] government in Taiwan,” it said.
Having been in prison for more than 1,200 days, Chen’s health has deteriorated rapidly, the letter said.
Although the letter made no reference to the matter, Chen’s entourage last week also determined that the former president had been given the anti-anxiety medication Ativan. According to his office and family members, the drug was administered without his consent.
Doctors at Taoyuan General Hospital attributed Chen’s poor health to long-term deprivation of sunlight, lack of exercise and an inactive lifestyle.
Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), said last week that his father faced “inhuman conditions” in jail and was allowed only 30 minutes of outdoor activities a day.
Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) cited security concerns and respect for a former head of state for barring Chen from working in the prison factory.
“Early this year, for nine straight days, he was even denied his daily exercise time,” the letter said, -adding that unlike other inmates, who could work eight hours a day in prison factories, Chen Shui-bian had essentially been confined to a small, damp cell 24 hours a day. “Chen is not even allowed a desk and is forced to write on the floor. Such imprisonment conditions are a direct violation of the minimum requirements for prison conditions sanctioned by the UN, which says: ‘every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.’”
“It is apparent that the inhuman imprisonment conditions [have led] to the rapid deterioration of Chen’s [Shui-bian] health,” it said. “FAHR condemns such inhuman and unlawful treatment against any prisoner, never mind a former president of Taiwan, twice democratically elected.”
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
RSS