HONG KONG, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Correctional Services Department (CSD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday strongly condemned the content of a so-called research published by Amnesty International, which smeared the legitimate custodial management carried out by the CSD.

The spokesperson said that the so-called research on the situations about persons in custody (PICs) in Hong Kong is fact-twisting and baseless. It is intended to smear the legitimate custodial management carried out by the CSD in accordance with the law by citing different lies told by anti-China fugitives, who had breached supervision order and who had absconded from Hong Kong to engage in acts and activities endangering national security.

The spokesperson said that Amnesty International is an anti-China organization under the guise of an organization purportedly safeguarding human rights. In its so-called research, it did not include in full the written response from the CSD earlier, with a view to presenting a distorted picture

The spokesperson stressed that any officer of CSD who, without necessity, uses force in dealing with prisoners or uses undue force, violates discipline and may also be criminally liable in such circumstances.

The CSD has put in place mechanisms to ensure the rights of PICs are protected. PICs who feel aggrieved by any treatment they received could lodge a complaint through various channels within and outside the CSD, the spokesperson added.