Mr. Yang Minghua, 59, of Beijing Dies after One Month in Detention

Name: Yang Minghua
Gender: Male
Age: 59
Address: Binhe Community, Shunyi District, Beijing
Date of Death: October 10th, 2012
Date of Most Recent Arrest: August 9th, 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Shunyi District Detention Centre
City: Beijing
Persecution Suffered: Detention, unknown drugs

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Yang Minghua was arrested on August 9th, 2012 and held at the Shunyi District Detention Centre. He became emaciated as a result of the persecution. He was released on medical parole in September but passed away on October 10th at the age of 59.

Mr. Yang's wife Ms. Sun Shanxiang also practised Falun Gong and was sentenced to forced labour three times. She is incarcerated at the Beijing Women's Forced Labour Camp and does not know about her husband's death.

Mr. Yang was arrested by officers from the Guangming Police Station on August 9th, 2012. He was held at the Shunyi District Detention Centre, sentenced to forced labour, and later taken to the Tuanhe Forced Labour Camp. The camp authorities refused to admit him after a physical exam, so he was taken to the detention centre.

Mr. Yang's son went to visit and found that his father was emaciated. He requested that his father be released or he would investigate responsibility if any problems to his health occurred. The detention centre gave Mr. Yang another physical exam and two unknown pills. They then went through the formalities to release Mr. Yang on medical parole from September 6 to September 10th.

After Mr. Yang returned home, he experienced itching all over his body and he could not stop scratching. His family sent him to the hospital. He received one week of intravenous fluids, but it did not stop the itching. The doctor told the family that Mr. Yang had late-stage lymphatic cancer that had already spread throughout his body, and they should just take him home. One week after being discharged from the hospital, on October 10th, 2012, Mr. Yang passed away.

Mr. Yang was healthy before the arrest, and had no illnesses.

Parties involved in the persecution:
Guangming Police Station: +86-10-81491110, +86-10-81492220
Shunyi District Detention Centre: +86-10-69404075, +86-10-69401575
Xi Lei, chief of the Domestic Security Division: +86-13601317696