Rights groups claim China detained activists supporting Hong Kong protests

Rights groups are claiming that the Chinese authorities have detained over a dozen activists across the country and questioned as many as 60 others for expressing support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Since the dramatic escalation of the protests last Sunday, several Chinese citizens have reportedly faced reprisals for voicing their support, the Express Tribune quoted the overseas-based advocacy group China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), as saying.

New York-based Amnesty International put the detention figure higher, saying at least 20 have been detained and another 60 called in for questioning.

The group called on Chinese authorities to release all those being detained for peacefully expressing their support for the protesters in Hong Kong.

Those detained include activist Wang Long, the CHRD said. Twenty-five-year-old Wang made headlines last month with his decision to sue a state-owned telecom operator for denying him access to US search engine Google.

Another activist, Shanghai-based Shen Yanqiu, posted online photos of herself with a shaved head in support of the Hong Kong protesters on Sunday, the CHRD said.

She was detained on Tuesday and is "being held in an unknown location", according to the group.

At an event Tuesday night, President Xi Jinping made no mention of the Hong Kong demonstrations, but said efforts must be made to keep people together. he was speaking ahead of China's National Day celebrations on Wednesday.