Countries with close links to the UK and EU continued to occupy the ranks of the world’s most prolific executioners in 2016, research by the international human rights group Reprieve has found.
Amnesty International has called on Northern Ireland's First Minister, Arlene Foster, to use her visit to China this week to raise concerns about human rights abuses in China – including the country's widespread jailing of lawyers and its extensive use of the death penalty.
The three-year suspended prison sentence handed down against human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang yesterday (22 December) is a deliberate attempt by the Chinese authorities to shackle a champion of freedom of expression, says Amnesty International.
As the Chinese President visited London last week, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) called on the UK government to strengthen its arms embargo against the regime and stop all arms sales.
Amnesty International has said that a Chinese consulate in Northern Ireland will become a focus of protest for those concerned with China's human rights record.
David Cameron must ensure human rights are as high on the agenda as trade in his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in London, says Amnesty International.