q) The restoration of Supreme People‘s Court (SPC) review for all death sentences should be utilized as an opportunity to publish national statistics on the application of the death penalty. r) The scope of the death penalty should be reduced, e.g. by abolishing it for economic and non-violent crimes. Situation in during visit in 2005 (See E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6) Detention Centre, death row prisoners awaiting appeal were handcuffed and shackled with leg irons for 24 hours a day and in all circumstances. The SPC restored its power of review in October 2005. Chinese law provided for the death penalty in relation to a wide range of offences that did not reach the international standard of ―most serious crimes‖; among the more than 60 capital offences, there were many economic and other nonviolent crimes. Steps taken in previous years (See A/HRC/4/33/Add.2, A/HRC/7/3/Add.2, A/HRC/10/44/Add.5 and A/HRC/16/52/Add.2) prisoners were denied final farewell visits by their families. Non-governmental sources: It is reported that China continues to refuse to release national statistics on the application of the death penalty classifying such information as ―state secrets‖. It is estimated that there have reportedly been more than 5,000 executions in 2008. Other observers estimate that death sentences were reduced by half since the review was returned to the SPC. In the absence of public statistics, it is impossible to verify the accuracy of such numbers. The appeal process in death penalty cases remains closed to outside observers. - Plans to implement the full audio-visual recording of appellate court proceedings in death penalty cases were announced. Non-governmental sources: The SPC was reportedly working on a judicial interpretation of ―the most serious and vile‖ crimes, for which the death penalty should be applied exclusively. Non-governmental sources 2009: It is reported that the number of capital offences remains the same. It is alleged that the Government still executes persons for non-violent, political crimes and there are no indications that the practice may change. s) Political crimes that leave The replacement of the crimes Non-governmental sources: It is reported that China‘s use of a set of crimes that fall under the broad large discretion to law ―counter-revolution‖ and category of ―endangering state security‖ has risen enforcement and prosecution ―hooliganism‖ in 1997 with dramatically in the last couple of years, in a trend that authorities such as vaguely defined crimes in the ―endangering national CL left their application open to goes sharply against the recommendation by the Special Rapporteur. security‖, ―subverting State abuse, particularly against the - It is reported that according to the 2009 China law power‖, ―undermining the peaceful exercise of the Yearbook, 1,712 individuals were arrested and 1,407 unity of the country‖, fundamental freedoms of indicted for crimes related to ―endangering state Information received in the reporting period A/HRC/19/61/Add.3 20 Recommendation (E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6) should not be subjected to additional punishment such as being handcuffed and shackled.