Chinese rights lawyers and activists say the Monday promotion of former police official Fu Zhenghua to head China's justice ministry signals an even deeper freeze on attempts to use the country's legal system to defend against rights abuses.
Lawmakers at China's annual meeting of parliament rubber-stamped the appointment of Fu, previously a deputy head of China's ministry of public security, to take charge of the department in charge of maintaining and improving China's legal system. Fu was preceded by Zhang Jun, who is now head of the state prosecutor and courts.
Long seen as a rising star in law enforcement, Fu led a number of high-profile investigations and crackdowns, including the probe into former security czar Zhou Yongkang, who was found guilty of corruption.