Prison Refuses to Cooperate with Lawyers Concerning Mr. Fang Zhengping's Death

Mr. Fang Zhengping from Xichang City, Sichuan Province, was persecuted to death in the Yunnan Province No.1 Prison around June 2013. His parents have hired two lawyers to sue the prison and demand compensation from the state for their son's wrongful death. The prison authorities have refused to cooperate with the lawyers, obstructing their investigation of the case.

Mr. Fang was arrested in Suijiang County in Yunnan on October 14th, 2007. He was then sentenced to 7 years in prison by the Suijiang County Court.

Mr. Fang was tortured to death in the Yunnan Province No.1 Prison. He passed away at the age of 57.

Officials at Yunnan No. 1 Prison Refuse to Cooperate

Pu Minghui, deputy manager of the Yunnan No. 1 Prison, met with the lawyers on October 11th, 2013. He said that the prison would assign a counsel to discuss the issue further on the morning of October 14th.

When the two lawyers returned to the prison on October 14th, Pu Minghui asked the counsel and another officer to talk to them. However, the counsel refused to discuss anything related to Mr. Fang's death.

Instead, the prison's counsel put forth three unrelated, and unreasonable, demands: First, the lawyers had to show prove that they were hired by Mr. Fang's parents. Second, they had to provide a document stating that the local judicial and administrative department had accepted them to work on Mr. Fang's case. Third, they had to provide a document describing their relationship to Mr. Fang.

The two lawyers responded as follows: First, the signatures and fingerprints of the Power of Attorney are proof of being hired by Mr. Fang's parents. Second, there is no law requiring a document from the local judicial administrative department. Third, the Yunnan No.1 Prison had sent a letter to Mr. Fang's parents, admitting that Mr. Fang had been imprisoned there. As such, the prison acknowledged the relationship of Mr. Fang to his parents, and as the lawyers were hired by the parents, their relationship to Mr. Fang is clear.

The counsel and staff of the Yunnan No. 1 Prison refused further discussion with the two lawyers. They also refused to show the documents related to Mr. Fang's death.

Those responsible for Mr. Fang Zhenping's death include:

Yunnan No. 1 Prison: +86-871-63834000
Yang Guodong (杨国栋), director of Yunnan No.1 Prison: +86-871-63837001 (Office), +86- 15987195189 (Mobile), +86-13987795189 (Mobile),
Zhou Zhaoying (周诏英), deputy director of Yunnan No.1 Prison: +86-871-63834393 (Office), +86- 13888373258
Deng Hong (邓洪), Communist Party secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission: +86-871-63834005 (office), +86-15912513166 (Mobile),Pu Minghui (普明辉), deputy manager of the Yunnan No. 1 Prison: +86-871-63834133 (office), +86-13808739909 (Mobile),
Ma Lin (马林), director of Yunnan Province Prison Administration Bureau: +86-871-66116002 (Office), +86-13708710248 (Mobile),
Yan Jun (闫军), political commissar of Yunnan Province Prison Administration Bureau: +86-871-66116001 (office), +86-13608811993 (Mobile),