In last five years, Chinese courts have prosecuted over 8 million people

In the last five years, that is 2017-2022, over 8.3 million people have been prosecuted by the Chinese courts, a 12 per cent rise from the corresponding period.

The figures released in March by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP)— the highest national agency responsible for legal prosecution and prosecutorial investigation in mainland China—also showed that there was a nearly 20 per cent rise in the number of protests against court rulings.

Prosecutions for violent crimes decreased by 31.7 per cent, while prosecutions for internet-based crimes, such as gambling, fraud and the sharing of obscene materials increased by 43.3 per cent, Zhang Jun, the outgoing director of the SPP, said, according to the Guardian newspaper.

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The report throws light on the working process of China’s notorious justice system as it tightens domestic security laws, showcasing how China, under Xi Jinping, has been stifling dissent.

Recently, China increased its focus on quelling dissidence, including targeting protesters and human rights lawyers.

Furthermore, the Chinese authorities added new amendments to its anti-espionage laws this month, which the legal experts warned could significantly heighten the risks for foreign individuals and organisations operating within the country.

China suspends 1.4 million media posts

The fact that several foreign businesses were subjected to surprise raids, while numerous foreigners and Chinese individuals working for foreign organisations have been detained on grounds of national security, attests that Beijing is becoming increasingly averse to foreign organisations operating in the country, which it believes, is working to subvert national interests.

“The Chinese system has always been as much about resolution as about punishment and deterrence,” Jeremy Daum, a research scholar at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School told the Guardian.

The SPP in its report highlighted its role in ensuring that investigations and prosecutions are conducted legally and fairly. It claimed that it had refused 818,000 arrests proposed by public security organs, an increase of 30 per cent.

Rise in protest against court judgements

But Guardian, quoting the data provided by the SPP, argued that there has been a significant jump in the number of appeals lodged against criminal judgments.

The SPP report noted that 41,000 protests were lodged against criminal judgments believed to be erroneous, an 18.9 per cent increase on the previous reporting period.

It also revealed that 78,000 officials, including more than 100 who were at or above provincial leader or ministerial level, were prosecuted for corruption and bribery in the five-year period. Since coming to power, Xi has run a sweeping corruption crackdown on Chinese political elites.

(With inputs from agencies)

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