Ms. Zhang Xiuqin Dies One Month after Being Arrested

Ms. Zhang Xiuqin, around 48 years old, lived in the Chengzhong District Court Family Housing in Xining City, Qinghai Province. On the evening of November 13th, 2008, someone reported her while she was distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong near Nanshan Street. Officers from Nantan Police Station arrested her and detained her in the Xining City Detention Centre the same night.

According to guards in the detention centre, at around midnight on December 7th, Ms. Zhang suddenly passed out. The centre doctor and nurses tried to resuscitate her in vain, then took her to the Qinghai Province Red Cross Hospital, which is directly affiliated with the city's legislative system. Ms. Zhang remained unconscious.

On the morning of December 8th, guards found Ms. Zhang's husband via officers of the Nantan Police Station and told him to go take care of Ms. Zhang in the hospital. At first, there were three guards monitoring Ms. Zhang, but seeing that she remained unconscious, the centre's administration only used one guard later, then none. Officials claimed the centre was letting her husband take responsibility. However, the hospital forbade anyone from getting close to Ms. Zhang, including her husband. He could only see her through a TV phone. The doctors said there was brain fluid affecting her heart, but Ms. Zhang had not passed out due to that condition before.

On December 12th, the hospital gave up its rescue effort and let Ms. Zhang's husband take full responsibility for his wife. She died at 4 o'clock on December 13th, only one month after she was arrested. It has not been discovered how the officers and guards mistreated her in custody, but based on the fact that she fell into a coma during detention, all responsible parties will not escape justice.

Lu Yonglin, Nantan Police Station Director: 86-13389717488 (Mobile), 86-971-8247581 (Office)

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/19/191849.html