China to require police to film all interrogations: Xinhua

SHANGHAI - China will require police to film and record all interrogations in criminal cases to ensure that law enforcement is carried out fairly and that suspects' rights are protected, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The requirement, approved by the Ministry of Public Security, includes a plan to improve evidence gathering and the accountability of police officers handling cases.

Public discontent over wrongful punishment in China has been growing.

In December, the parents of a teenager executed 18 years ago for a rape and murder he did not commit were compensated after the Inner Mongolia High Court overturned his conviction.

In another case, a former food stall owner who was on death row was acquitted of poisoning two children. Nian Bin said he was tortured into confessing during police interrogations.

The ministry said the credibility of the police had been damaged by instances of police accepting bribes and bending the law to serve themselves, Xinhua reported.