[JURIST] The Chinese Communist Party [official website] announced on Monday that the Chinese government has punished more than one million officials for corruption. The statistics were released [BBC report] when the highest-ranking members of the party met for the Sixth Plenum of the 18th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Additionally, they announced that 409 alleged fugitives have been detained overseas this year. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection [official website] has been criticized by opponents for allegedly targeting President Xi Jinping’s political rivals.

China’s human rights record has drawn international scrutiny, particularly among a crackdown against corruption. Earlier this month a former Chinese senior energy official who had hoarded 200 million yuan ($29.99 million) was given a suspended death sentence [JURIST report] after being convicted of corruption. In August Chinese authorities released a prominent human rights lawyer from detention. Wang Yu was released on bail after confessing to “subverting state power” [JURIST report]. In July China was set to prosecute [JURIST report] a prominent human rights lawyer on charges of subverting state power. In September Amnesty International urged [JURIST report] Chinese authorities to “end their ruthless assault against human rights lawyers and activists.” In June a report claimed that China continues to harvest organs [JURIST report] from prisoners and those opposed to the Chinese Communist Party.