Canadian Expat Targeted by Taiwan’s Legal System Despite Official Acknowledgment of Innocence

After more than four years of legal harassment, business destruction, and emotional devastation, I, Ross Cline (柯受恩), a Canadian citizen and longtime Taiwan resident, am publicly sharing a key government document issued by Taiwan’s prosecutors in April 2025.

This document (attached below) makes clear:
✅ I acted without malicious intent
✅ I caused no harm
✅ The original charges arose from a minor rental contract dispute

And yet, despite these facts, the Taiwan judiciary continues to uphold a six-month prison sentence or more than one year of forced community labor — a punishment wildly disproportionate to the facts and, by any reasonable standard, an international human rights violation.

I invite legal experts, human rights advocates, media, and the public to review the attached pages and judge for themselves the glaring contradiction between Taiwan’s own official findings and the penalties they continue to impose.

Here’s the ironic twist:
This very document — written entirely in Chinese, handed to a foreigner who cannot read Chinese, and containing the details that trapped me in this legal nightmare — is itself supposedly “illegal” for me to share publicly.
So, by Taiwan’s bizarre legal standards, simply seeking outside help by letting others review and translate this document somehow adds to my “criminality.”
One has to wonder: is this just bureaucratic blindness or something far more cynical?

For full context or media inquiries, contact me:
📧 ross@rosscline.com
🌐 rosscline.com
📞 (506) 321-8659
🇨🇦 New Brunswick, Canada

Taiwan Media and Human Rights 

It is chilling to realize that Taiwan’s own human rights organizations shy away from cases involving judicial misconduct — the very heart of most human rights violations. If they refuse to challenge abuses of legal power, what meaningful protection can they offer? That international media may be the only route left speaks volumes about the failure of Taiwan’s domestic safeguards. 

Clear Violations of My Rights under ICCPR and Taiwan’s Constitution

I want to add the following clear, undeniable legal points to my blogpost, based on the official letter I received from the Taiwan Taichung District Prosecutors Office (April 24, 2025). Below, I outline exactly how the handling of my case violates international and constitutional rights.

1. Violation of Article 14, ICCPR (Right to Due Process & Presumption of Innocence)

Article 14 guarantees the right to a fair and public hearing, equality before the courts, the right to present a defense, the right to call and examine witnesses, and the presumption of innocence.

Violation: The court did not hear or consider testimony from my five witnesses, despite their availability. This completely undermines the fairness of the process. Moreover, my inability to read or write Chinese was ignored, and no interpreter or translation support was offered, making it impossible for me to meaningfully defend myself or understand the charges. The letter admits that evidence and surveillance were “selectively ignored,” further violating the presumption of innocence.

2. Violation of Article 9, ICCPR (Protection from Arbitrary Detention or Punishment)

Article 9 protects individuals from arbitrary arrest, detention, or punishment and ensures that no one is deprived of liberty except according to procedures established by law.

Violation: I was sentenced to six months without proper judicial review or fair process, as described above. This punishment is arbitrary because it was based on an unfair trial process, lack of proper evidence consideration, and selective omission of exonerating facts. The letter also shows that punishment was extended or maintained despite these failings, which constitutes arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

3. Violation of Article 16, Taiwan Constitution (Right to Judicial Remedy)

Article 16 guarantees the people the right to judicial remedy if their rights are infringed.

Violation: Despite clear and repeated procedural failings, no effective remedy was offered or available to me. I was denied fair trial rights, and when I attempted to raise issues (like the denial of witnesses and language barriers), the authorities failed to provide corrective action. The prosecutor's letter shows no meaningful attempt to address or remedy these constitutional violations.

4. Additional Violations Identified in the Document

• Violation of international human rights obligations (UN principles, fair hearing standards): The letter shows that procedural rights were bypassed and even misrepresented, violating Taiwan's commitments under international treaties.

• Violation of equality before the law (Article 14, ICCPR): My foreign nationality and inability to speak Chinese were disregarded, effectively creating an unequal legal position where I could not defend myself on an equal basis.

• Violation of fair evidence use standards: The letter admits that key evidence (e.g., video, password records) was ignored, violating the standard that all relevant evidence must be fairly weighed.

• Violation of protection from punishment beyond legal limits: The extension of punishment without new legal grounds is arbitrary and breaches both ICCPR and Taiwan’s internal legal limits.

Summary

The letter from the prosecutor's office, when read carefully, confirms:

• I was denied the right to present witnesses.

• I was denied language assistance critical for defense.

• Evidence in my favor was ignored.

• Punishment was imposed and extended arbitrarily.

• No judicial remedy or correction was provided.

These actions directly violate Articles 9 and 14 of the ICCPR, Article 16 of the Taiwan Constitution, and fundamental human rights standards. These are not vague or debatable breaches — they are clear, documented, and undeniable.

I call on readers, international observers, and human rights organizations to recognize these violations and hold the relevant Taiwan authorities accountable.

Note: If you want to read the full official letter, please contact me or visit my blog's document archive section.