China will abandon a system that allows police to sentence people to time in labor camps without trial, a top official said on Monday.

Meng Jianzhu, head of the Chinese ruling party’s politics and law committee, announced at a national working meeting that the system will be abandoned this year once  the proposal is approved by China’s legislative body, according to a Sina Weibo post by Legal Daily reporter Chen Dongsheng.

The system has been widely criticized by human rights groups as well as the United Nations.

Meng said that before the proposal is approved by the National People's Congress, police won’t send provocative petitioners to labor camps, according to the post.

The announcement was also verified by China Central Television which later posted the news on an official “CCTV News” Sina Weibo account.

But related posts have been blocked so far.