Man Dies 17 Hours after Police Surround His House and Shut Off Utilities

A 68-year-old man from Shanghai died 17 hours after police put his house under siege and shut off his water and electricity.

A group of officers descended upon Mr. Li Yuqin's house at around 10 a.m. on January 19th and demanded to go inside to arrest his daughter and son-in-law, presumably for a lawsuit the young couple had filed six months ago against former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin.

Mr. Li's wife Mrs. Li Wenjuan, their daughter Ms. Li Li, and her husband Mr. Hou Yagang are Falun Gong practitioners. The trio had been repeatedly arrested and detained for refusing to renounce their faith since Jiang launched the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999.

Mr. Li had taken a fall just days ago and was still bedridden when the police came to harass his family. The police ordered their utilities shut off after failing to pry the door open.

Traumatized by what was happening, Mr. Li had a fainting episode that afternoon. His wife and children pleaded with the police to restore water and electricity to their house, but the police refused.

The police also did not allow anyone to leave the house. Denied medical attention, Mr. Li passed away at around 3 a.m.

The police didn't retreat until the next day.

A close encounter with death six years ago preceded Mr. Li's passing. His wife Mrs. Li was arrested on June 5th, 2009 while visiting a fellow Falun Gong practitioner. The police proceeded to arrest Mr. Li, their daughter and son-in-law later that day.

Mr. Li was released one day later when he had a heart attack. He survived the heart attack, only to die six years later from another police scare.