Hong Kong ree Press
Date: 9 June 2019
By: AFP
Photo: Taiwan Gov’t.
Taiwan hit out at Spain on Saturday for deporting nearly 100 of its citizens accused of telecom fraud to China, following years of legal wrangling over the case.
The repatriation of the group — who are suspected of defrauding Chinese nationals over the phone — is likely to heighten cross-strait tensions as Taipei maintains its citizens will not receive a fair trial in China.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “concern and deep regret” over the move and said in a statement that Spain had ignored calls from the UN not to proceed with the deportations.
The group of 94 Taiwanese were arrested in 2016 after raids by Spanish and Chinese police, according to Beijing.
Lawyers and local rights groups had fought in the Spanish courts to halt the deportations.
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