China has implemented measures to further prevent extortion of confessions and illegal detention in the past two years, says a report released on Thursday by China's State Council Information Office (SCIO).

Titled Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), the report says to prevent the extortion of confessions by torture and the infliction of corporal punishment, abuse and insult on detainees, the Ministry of Public Security stipulates that, "except for special cases, all interrogation of detainees must be conducted in the interrogation rooms of detention houses."

Every interrogation room must have a metal mesh as separation between detainees and interrogators, and two doors - one for the detainee and one for the interrogator - to avoid physical contact between them, it says.

Technological means, including simultaneous audio and video recording, are employed in interrogation rooms to prevent such abuses as the extortion of confessions by torture, according to the report.

In addition, physical examination of detainees before and after an interrogation and when they leave and return to the detention house is conducted, it says.

Meanwhile, measures on forbidding illegal detention by law enforcement personnel have been implemented in the past two years, according to the report.

In April 2010, related departments jointly promulgated the Ordinance on Discipline for the People's Police of Public Security Organs to prohibit illegal deprivation or restriction of others' freedom of the person.p Procuratorial organs have strengthened the legal supervision of criminal investigation, criminal trial and the execution of sentences, it says.

In 2009 and 2010, procuratorial organs filed and investigated cases involving 1,002 government functionaries who had taken advantage of their positions and powers to conduct illegal detention, revenge and frame-ups, and disruption of elections and other crimes that infringe upon citizens' rights of the person and democratic rights, it says.

In the last two years, people's courts at all levels have held hearings for 18,600 cases of illegal detention, including those committed by government functionaries who used their positions and powers.

In April 2009, the SCIO published the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010). It is China's first national plan on human rights.

The 56-page report made an overall assessment of the implementation of the Action Plan. It also specified China's efforts on implementing the plan to safeguarding people's economic, social and cultural rights, people's civil and political rights, as well as promoting the cause of human rights in other spheres.