Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

(L-R) Maria San Martin, Gabriela Bezerra and Chole Douglas pictured at the Vigil in memory of Chinese human rights defender Ms. Cao Shunli, at the Chinese Embassy, 40 Ailesbury Road, Ballsbridge

Front Line Defenders deeply regrets the death of Ms. Cao Shunli, 52, who has died from organ failure at a hospital in Beijing. Front Line Defenders holds the Chinese Government accountable for her death and demands that the UN consider a sanction against China for knowingly and wilfully allowing her to die simply because she attempted to co-operate with the UN system. She had been in detention for five months during which her health terminally declined through lack of medical treatment. Cao Shunli suffered from tuberculosis in both her lungs, cirrhosis of the liver and uterine fibroids.Cao Shunli was disappeared on 14 September 2013 as she was preparing to board a flight to Switzerland to take part in a human rights training on UN mechanisms. Her detention by state security agents was only formally acknowledged on 28 September 2013, and she was not permitted to see her lawyer until 30 October 2013. At that time, Wang Yu, her lawyer, reported that Cao Shunli was extremely thin and had not received any medical attention in the detention centre. Pic Paul Sharp/Sharppix