Ms. Li Ying, a Falun Gong practitioner and resident of Youyan Street, Wanghua District, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, was kidnapped and beaten to death by Chinese police on April 2nd, 2003, according to sources in China.
Sources say Ms. Li was kidnapped by police officers from the No. 1 Division of Fushun City Police Department because she practices Falun Gong. She was immediately taken to the local police station where she was beaten to death on the same day by four police officers in an attempt to extract a “confession” — a Chinese police term for renouncing Falun Gong.
Ms. Li’s family was unable to locate her and suspected that the police had kidnapped her.
Ms. Li’s family then went to the police department to ask for her but were turned away. The family members, however, deplored the police and insisted on seeing her.
According to sources familiar with Ms. Li’s case, the police finally relented, allowing family members to see Ms. Li.
Sources say they saw her lying on the ground with a white sheet covering her entire body. Upon pulling the sheet down they found Ms. Li on the verge of death. She only had strength to tell her husband, “Four police beat me…” before dying shortly thereafter.
Sources say Ms. Li’s family demanded to document the scene on videotape, but police refused out of fear their crime would be exposed. Police then proceeded to ask her family whether she had any illnesses in an apparent attempt to find an excuse for her death. Her family told police she had excellent health and called for a coroner to perform an autopsy. Chinese authorities, however, denied the request.
Ms. Li’s family is currently unwilling to discuss her case further due to pressure from the police, and further details of her death are still under investigation.
Relevant Departments Responsible for Ms. Li’s Death:
No. 1 Division of Fushun City Police Department; phone: 86-413-2625446
Fushun City Police Department, address: No. 19 Zhongyangdajie, Xinfu District; phone: 86-413-2626095, 86-413-2624451
Wanghua District Political and Judiciary Committee and Wanghua District “610 Office” in Fushun City: 86-413-6688867
Wanghua District Division of Fushun City Police Department, address: No. 16 Wanghua Street; phone: 86-413-6688139
Fushun City State Security Bureau, address: No. 21 Middle Section of Xincheng Road, Shuncheng District; phone: 86-413-7677100
Posting date: 14/July/2003
Original article date: 13/July/2003
Category: News from China
