Chinese detention System Called ‘Alleyway in Hell’

On the eve of President Obama’s visit to China next week, a new report alleges that a sprawling system of ?black jails? has been used to detain Chinese citizens petitioning for redress from the government. The report, called ?An Alleyway in Hell? [pdf, 737.06 kb], is just out this morning from Human Rights Watch. It describes Chinese citizens being abducted off the streets of Beijing and other cities with no charges. The citizens were imprisoned in state-owned hotels, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, where the conditions are often brutal. We speak to Phelim Kine, a researcher for Human Rights Watch.