Lawyers & Activists Form “Support Group” to Push for Investigation into “Suicide” of Long-time Jailed Dissident Christian Li Wangyang

China Aid Association
250px-Li_Wang_Yang
(Beijing—June 30, 2012) A group of some of China’s most prominent human rights lawyers and activists have set up a “Legal and Citizens Support Group” to push for an investigation into the “suicide” of long-time jailed dissident Christian Li Wangyang (photo at right).

ChinaAid urges all citizens to go to http://www.liwangyang.org to sign the group’s petition.  The group’s formal statement, as well as the contact information for its spokespersons and all its members is below.

“Li Wangyang was imprisoned for nearly 22 years, and suffered appalling torture and abuses which caused him to go blind and lose his hearing. But none of that caused him to change his mind about the need for a democratic future for China,” said ChinaAid founder and president Dr. Bob Fu.

“All  of the available evidence surrounding around Christian democracy activist Li Wangyang’s sudden death in his hospital  room indicate that the official Chinese claim that he committed suicide is suspicious and full of holes,” Fu said. “We applaud the Support Group’s courageous effort to urge the Chinese government to investigate the cause of Mr Li’s death, to seek justice for his illegally detained family members and to hold accountable whoever abused and tortured Mr Li and orchestrated his death.”

Statement of “Legal and Citizens Support Group” Ever since the news that Mr. Li Wangyang had “committed suicide” on the morning of June 6, our consciences has had no peace.  This leader from the 1989 labor movement was imprisoned for 21 years and tortured on many occasions.  Deaf, blind and almost paralyzed, he has suffered greatly for our nation.  Now that he has died a mysterious death, we are very pained and angry!!

The Shaoyang police’s pronouncement of “suicide” is riddled with questions: As a Christian, Li Wangyang would not be motivated to commit suicide.  The body did not exhibit the usual physiological signs of suicide by hanging, such as “protruding tongue.”  Besides, the bottoms of his feet were entirely in contact with the floor, and the white cloth with which he hanged himself was tied in an expert’s DuPont knot, which is not something that a deaf, blind and almost paralyzed patient could do.  Furthermore, since the police have already ruled it a “suicide,” then logically speaking, this is not a criminal case, and there is all the more reason for the body to be released to his family so that they can mourn his death and make final arrangements. However, against the backdrop of objections from his family and doubt from all over the world, the Shaoyang police forcibly took control of the body and hurriedly cremated it.  Legally speaking, there is great cause to suspect that they destroyed the body to cover up foul play.

In the face of strong and sustained protests from the mainland rights defenders, compatriots in Hong Kong and overseas Chinese, the Shaoyang police still have refused to disclose the truth.  What makes one even more indignant is that the Shaoyang police illegally restrained Li Wangyang’s sister, Li Wangling, and other rights defenders by detaining them or by placing them under house arrest in an attempt to gag the voice of the world—Chinese who uphold humanitarianism and rule of law cannot tolerate such utter disregard for human life, such trampling on the rule of law and such actions that go against the law of heaven.

This is a very vicious legal incident and is also a very serious case of trampling on basic humanitarianism, challenging the bottom line of human conscience and undermining universal rules.

We must not be silent and we must respond. Otherwise, we would feel have no way to answer to the soul of this brave hero in heaven. And the life and safety of rights defenders in mainland China would be also be seriously compromised and the situation would continue to worsen, such that the life and safety, personal freedoms and dignity of all citizens could be violated at will.

We must step up and actively seek a resolution of this incident through the rule of law.  We call on people from all walks of life throughout the world to work hand in hand with Li Wangyang’s relatives and, through concrete actions and by legal means, find ways to realize humankind’s most basic form of justice in this incident.

For this reason, we hereby officially establish the Legal and Citizens Support Group to Investigate the Truth behind Mr. Li Wangyang’s “Suicide,” and we will do the following in an orderly manner:

1.  Call on and urge the National People’s Congress, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security Bureau and Ministry of Justice to form a united investigation group that includes independent rights defenders from mainland China and Hong Kong attorneys who enjoy public credibility to conduct a just, professional and in-depth investigation into the “suicide” of Mr. Li Wangyang.

2.  By appealing to and urging people, or through a lawsuit on behalf of Li Wangyang’s family, we will investigate the legal liabilities of relevant civil servants who conducted the initial investigation and came up with the findings.

3.  By appealing to and urging people, or through a lawsuit on behalf of Li Wangyang’s family, we will investigate the legal liabilities of relevant civil servants, healthcare providers and people who illegally cremated the body and who falsified the “suicide” scene and covered up the truth.

4.  Call on and urge Hunan police to end the illegal house arrest of Li Wangyang’s sister, Li Wangling, her husband, Zhao Baozhu and other relatives of Li Wangyang and end the house arrest, surveillance and other illegal compulsory measures imposed on Zhou Zhirong, Zhang Shanguang, Zhu Chengzhi, Yin Zhian, Huang Lihong, Li Jianjun and other rights defenders implicated in this case.

5.  By appealing to and urging people, or through a lawsuit on behalf of Li Wangyang’s family, we will demand that the persons liable in this case pay reasonable compensation.

All Chinese who have a conscience and passion, please step up and fight together with us!  According to your circumstances, please provide your much-needed support and help.

Let us work together and support each other and defend our rights in a peaceful and legal manner in accordance with the basics of the rule of law, and let us push forward until the entire incident is finally resolved in a just way.

Contact information:
     Petition email: 签名邮箱:[email protected]  
    Petition Website 签名网址:http://www.liwangyang.org/

Spokespersons’ Contact information:
Mr Guo Feixiong郭飞雄(广州维权人士,Guangzhou, cellphone 手机:18664641933)
Mr Hu Jia 胡  佳(北京维权人士,Beijing, cellphone 手机:13501091828)
Attorney Jiang Tianyong 江天勇(北京律师,Beijing, Cellphone 手机:13910576638)
Attorney Albert Ho 何俊仁(香港律师,HongKong, cellphone 电话:+852 9020 3087)
Attorney Liu Weiguo刘卫国(济南律师,Jinan, Shandong, cellphone 手机:13518610665

Members’ Contact information:
Attorney Tang Jingling 唐荆陵(广州律师,手机:18664641933)
Attorney Xiao Guozhen 肖国珍(北京律师,Beijing, 15210442636)
Mr Guo Chunping郭春平(广州维权人士,Guangzhou, 手机:13650754246)
Mr Hu Jia 胡  佳(北京维权人士,Beijing, 手机:13501091828)
Attorney Jiang Tianyong江天勇(北京律师,Beijing, 手机:13910576638)
Attorney Albert Ho何俊仁(香港律师,Hongkang, 电话:+852 9020 3087)
Dr Bob Fu傅希秋(对华援助协会会长,USA, 电话号码:+1-267-2055210)
Attorney Liu Weiguo刘卫国(山东律师,Shandong, 13518610665)
Mr Gong Shengli巩胜利(北京独立学者手机:Beijing, 13720007349)
Mr Chen Yongmiao陈永苗(北京学者,Beijing, 手机:13401179861)
Attorney Wang Cheng 王  成(浙江律师, Zhejiang)
Attorney Liu Shihui刘士辉(广州律师, Guangzhou)
Mr Ye Du野  渡(广州维权人士, Guangzhou)
Mr Tian Guihua田贵华(广州自由撰稿人, Guangzhou)
Mr Wang Kang王   康(重庆学者, Chongqing)
Guo Feixiong郭飞雄(广州维权人士,Guangzhou,手机:18664641933)
Mr Yang Zili杨子立(北京维权人士, Beijing)
Mr Zan Aizong昝爱宗(浙江维权人士, Zhejiang)
Mr Zheng Youwu郑酋午(海南维权人士,Hainan, 手机:18689804375)
Mr Sun Desheng孙德胜(广州维权人士, Guangzhou)
Mr Li Fang李  方(自由作家)
Nuowei Senlin挪威森林(湖南维权人士, Hunan)
Mr Liu Anping刘安平(广州学者, Guangzhou)
Mr Wang Quanping王全平(广东江门律师,Guangdong,手机:13189886111)
Mr Sui Muqing隋牧青(广州律师,Guangzhou, 手机:13711124956)
Mr Li Yuanfeng李原风(广州维权人士,Guangzhou,手机:13724887151)
Mr He Guoquan何国权(广州画家,Guangzhou, 手机:13808877204)
Ms Liu Ping刘  萍(江西维权人士, Jiangxi)
Mr Li Siping李思平(江西维权人士, Jiangxi)
Mr Wei Zhongping魏忠平(江西维权人士, Jiangxi)
Mr Hua Chunhui华春辉(江苏维权人士Jiangsu)
Ms Wang Liyun王丽云(河南维权人士, Henan)
Ms Lian Lianhua蓝莲花(维权人士)
Ms Su Yutong苏雨桐(维权人士)
Mr Yan Ba盐  巴(维权人士)
Mr Guo Tan郭坦(广州维权人士,Guangzhou手机:13822298466)
Mr Guo Shaokun郭少坤(江苏维权人士,Jiangsu, 宅电:0516—–85710617)
Mr Liu Dejun刘德军(湖北维权人士,Hubei, 手机:15910433809)
Mr Li Xiaolong黎小龙(广西维权人士手机:Guangxi, 18607755164)
Lu Yuyu卢昱宇(上海维权人士手机:Shanghai, 15220795244


China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org

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Lawyers & Activists Form “Support Group” to Push for Investigation into “Suicide” of Long-time Jailed Dissident Christian Li Wangyang

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