During the trial Chen (57) repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his arrest was politically motivated. As he was being taken into custody on November 12, Chen had his lawyer release a statement saying that he would protest his incarceration through a hunger strike.
After over 100 hours without sustenance, doctors found Chen to have a rapid heart rate, tightness in his chest, difficulty breathing and abnormal electrocardiogram readings.
On the evening of November 16, Chen was rushed to the Far Eastern Hospital from his detention facility escorted by police and special services. Traffic was cordoned off during his three minute ambulance ride to the hospital.
After a four-hour examination, Chen was found to be severely dehydrated and doctors insisted on keeping him overnight to administer injections of saline and glucose and perform further monitoring. Chen will be reevaluated soon to see if he is fit to return to prison.
Taiwan’s recently installed Kuomintang president, Ma Ying-jeou—who some suggest ordered Chen’s arrest to appease mainland China—has not yet expressed an opinion on the matter. Yet Kuomintang Party officials have stated that medical treatment is a basic human right that should be provided regardless of whether a person is punished or under custody.
Several others are being held in connection with the same graft allegations as the former president, including former first lady Wu Shu-Chen who may undergo further interrogation this week as she faces charges that she had allegedly looted a special presidential fund.
Lai Ching-Te from the Democratic Progressive Party stressed that these arrests are politically motivated. “These public figures should be released as their detainment is a violation of human rights,” he said.
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