Mother Detained After Chinese Vaccine Protest

A Chinese health activist has been detained for more than a month, her husband said Wednesday, after she participated in a protest over faulty vaccines -- a re-occurring issue in China

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2019 ) :A Chinese health activist has been detained for more than a month, her husband said Wednesday, after she participated in a protest over faulty vaccines -- a re-occurring issue in China.

According to police documents posted online by Li Xin, his wife He Fangmei is under "criminal detention" at the Xinxiang detention centre in central Henan province.

He, 33, who had said her daughter was diagnosed with a neurological disease after receiving vaccinations for hepatitis A, measles, and other illnesses, participated in a protest against faulty vaccines in Beijing in early March.

She was later detained by local police in Henan province on March 5 and charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" -- a broad offense that Chinese authorities often use to arrest activists.

She has not been released, said Li.

The drawn-out detention has "delayed the recovery" of their daughter, he told AFP.

"We hope the authorities can honour their word, release He Fangmei earlier, and let us continue to bring our child to the doctor," he said.

The local police in Huixian city did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.