Amnesty International Taiwan and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights are rallying in support of imprisoned pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-che. The organizations held their protest outside the legislature on Monday morning.
Chinese authorities intercepted and detained Lee, who is a Taiwanese human rights advocate, when he passed through Macau in March 2017. In November of that year, Chinese courts sentenced Lee to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to “subverting state power” — a confession Lee’s supporters believe Chinese authorities forced out of him.
Monday’s demonstration urged the Taiwanese government to ensure Lee’s release and safe return to Taiwan.
Amnesty International Taiwan Secretary-General Chiu Ee-ling says that according to China’s own laws, Lee should be released by April next year. But the human rights groups say that though the end of Lee’s sentence is approaching, China is yet to announce an official release date.
Lawmakers Chiu Hsien-chih and Freddie Lim are calling on the government to properly advise Taiwanese people on the risks of travelling to China. They are urging the government to carry out a proper assessment and issue warnings to potential travelers.