China
Lawyer Teng on Peng Shuai case + A lot of research funds wasted
Dear reader,
Justified criticism has been pelting IOC chief Thomas Bach in recent days. The association has allowed itself to be harnessed by Beijing's propaganda machine. Bach's video call with tennis player Peng Shuai was supposed to prove to the world that the 35-year-old was fine. But even video recordings prove absolutely nothing, says human rights lawyer Teng Biao.
He spoke with our author Marcel Grzanna about his own disappearance about ten years ago. For 70 days, Teng was imprisoned and tortured by state security at that time. He suspects that Peng Shuai, although not physically injured, is put under massive psychological pressure. "The goal is for the victims' fear to become so great that they are willing to do anything to avoid the consequences," Teng describes the authorities' approach in an interview with China.Table.
The case of the well-known athlete is particularly troublesome for Beijing – just months before the Winter Olympics kick off, it has the potential to drag the morale and character of China's most powerful men into the spotlight. William Nee of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), an international coalition of human rights organizations, suspects the government is still trying to find a solution as to how best to handle the matter.
