Chinese doctors accused of harvesting organs of death row inmates attended Oxford University’s sessions

Oxford University has been accused of holding training programmes that were attended by Chinese transplant doctors facing serious allegations of illegally harvesting human organs, The Telegraph reported. Despite warnings about the risks associated with collaborating with the Chinese transplant sector, academics at Oxford designed numerous courses over three years to purportedly benefit hundreds of medics.

One notable participant in the recent New Horizons programme, Prof Zheng Shusen, has come under scrutiny in a 2018 UK tribunal submission.

The document questions his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity, citing a "clear and convincing evidence pattern" and suggests that he was complicit in the extraction of organs from unknown individuals.

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The university has been cautioned that its participation in the programme could consequently contribute to organ harvesting.

What does it mean?

This revelation comes amid growing concerns about the Chinese Communist Party's influence on top British universities. China under Xi Jinping has frequently utilised international medical collaborations to downplay concerns about its transplantation ethics, despite providing minimal transparency on organ sourcing.

Contrary to claims that China's organ supply transitioned to voluntary donations in 2015, experts cited in the British media argue that the scale of the organ transplantation programme couldn't be sustained solely by death-row prisoners.

The documented imprisonment and torture of Falun Gong spiritualists have been pointed to as a likely source, as highlighted by the UK's independent China Tribunal chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice KC in 2020.

Despite being non-statutory, the tribunal's findings have been endorsed by government ministers, who have further urged the World Health Organization to take note. The global shortage of organs and the lucrative black market for illegally obtained tissue add urgency to the need for addressing these allegations.

Who is Prof Zheng, who is at the centre of the row?

Prof Zheng is a liver transplantation specialist at Zhejiang University. He faces accusations of harvesting organs on demand, potentially from blood-typed captive individuals in Chinese jails.

Moreover, he has been linked to the "Anti-Cult Association", that support the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

(With inputs from agencies)