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Former British consulate worker says he was tortured in China over UK’s role in Hong Kong protests

Former British consulate worker says he was tortured in China over UK’s role in Hong Kong protests

A former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong has alleged that he was tortured in China and interrogated by secret police about the city’s long-running pro-democracy protests.

Simon Cheng , a 28-year-old Hong Kong citizen who was detained for 15 days while on a trip to mainland China in August, claimed in a Facebook statement Wednesday that he was beaten, blindfolded, deprived of sleep, chained spread-eagled and forced to hold stress positions for hours at a time.

Cheng alleged Chinese secret police repeatedly interrogated him about the UK’s role in Hong Kong’s protests, and about his own participation and that of his friends.

In allegations that could inflame the protesters in Hong Kong and reinforce fears of many in the city, Cheng claimed that Chinese police told him “batches of Hong Kong protesters” had been “caught, delivered and detained in mainland China.” CNN could not independently verify Cheng’s claims.

China has repeatedly accused Western countries, including the UK and United States, of interfering in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and influencing the protests that have roiled Hong Kong for almost six months.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab appeared to endorse many of Cheng’s claims Wednesday, saying in a statement that his “mistreatment” […]