Poison Suspected in the Death of Ms Xu Decun

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:

Name: Xu Decun
Gender: Female
Age: 52
Address: Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Death: September 6th, 2013
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 2nd, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Jinan Women's Prison
City: Jinan
Province: Shandong
Persecution Suffered: Forced labour, forced injections/drug administration, imprisonment, interrogation, detention

Ms. Xu Decun, 52, was a Falun Gong practitioner in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province. She was arrested on May 2nd, 2010, and was sentenced to two years in prison.

She felt weak all over after she was released in 2012. She was unable to eat anything after the 2013 New Year. It is believed that she was poisoned in prison. She was sent to the Zaozhuang City Hospital on September 1st, 2013, and died on September 6th.

Ms. Xu was arrested at home on April 27th, 2002, by officers from the local 610 Office(an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) and police station. She was taken to the Jiefang Road Police Station. She escaped from the police station the next morning and had to leave home to avoid further persecution. Her son was only 14 at the time, but she had to live away from home for eight years.

Ms. Xu's husband and son were frequently intimidated and subjected to long-term monitoring by plainclothes police. Her son could not concentrate on his schoolwork and did not dare to go to school. He lost the opportunity to go to high school and college and was greatly harmed. The authorities cut off their electricity for nine years. Ms. Xu's husband had to use an accumulator to light up the place. In order to recharge the accumulator, he had to go to his relative's home.

610 Office personnel attempted to find out Ms. Xu's whereabouts from her husband, their relatives, and friends, using deceptive means. Even Ms. Xu's neighbor was told to monitor them. They also pressured Ms. Xu's employer to hold her salary. Ms. Xu's salary was suspended for 10 years and it caused great financial difficulty to her and her family.

Ms. Xu returned home on April 31st, 2010, to take care of her son and mother-in-law. To arrest Ms. Xu, the police seized her son on May 2nd. They beat him and forced him to return home and open the door for them. His mother was at home and was arrested.

Ms. Xu was interrogated under torture numerous times while in police custody. She was held in the Yuelou Detention Centre for more than a month and then given a two-year prison term. She was incarcerated at the Jinan Women's Prison.

Ms. Xu felt weak all over after she was released in 2012. It is believed that she was poisoned while in prison.

Ms. Xu was taken to the Zaozhuang City Hospital on September 1st, 2013, and died on September 6th.