Mrs Li Ling Died of Persecution Shortly After The United Nation's "Team for Investigating the Issue of Arbitrary Detention" Left China

Mrs. Li Ling, 51 years old, was a former Chief of the Labour Bureau from Guta District, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. She practised Falun Dafa and followed the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Mrs. Li recovered from all sorts of ailments and was acknowledged by all as a good person. After the Chinese party started to persecute Falun Gong, she peacefully appealed on behalf of Falun Dafa but was unjustly sentenced to one and a half years at Shenyang Dabei Prison, Liaoning Province. The prison guards forcibly administered medications to Mrs. Li, which destroyed her central nervous system. Li Ling lost a significant amount of weight during the persecution, and went from 65 to 45 kilograms [143 pounds to 99 pounds]. She was released on April 26, 2001. On May 28, 2002, Mrs. Li was arrested again at her home by the Political Legal Committee and was again unjustly sentenced to four years in the Shenyang Dabei in Liaoning Province. Li Ling was persecuted to death on November 17, 2004.

Shortly before she was persecuted to death, from September 18th to the 30th, 2004, the United Nation's "Team for Investigating the Issue of Arbitrary Detention " came to China for an on-site inspection. They asked the Chinese government to provide the legal situation and health condition of several people who were in detention at the time; Li Ling's name was also on the list.

The United Nation Investigation Team raised several questions regarding the Chinese government's handling of Li Ling's case. At the time, Li Ling was suffering brutal torture and persecution, and the Chinese government not only lied about Li Ling's condition, but also refused to arrange an interview between Lin Ling and the United Nation Investigation Team. In order to cover up the brutal abuse, on September 22, 2004, the local government let her son visit her in prison. By the time her husband visited her on October 26, Li Ling was extremely weak, and her long black hair and had all turned white.

After the United Nation Investigation Team left, the government resumed their persecution. On November 17, 2004, on behalf of the Women's Prison, the Political Legal Committee notified Li Ling's family of her death and asked them to take care of the affairs after her death. The family made it clear to the police that they knew that Li Ling had never committed any crime and that she had been persecuted to death. The authorities did not reply or pay any attention to their appeal.

The United Nations Investigation Team paid close attention to Li Ling's case

After five months of investigation, the United Nations "Team for Investigating the Issue of Arbitrary Detention" published its verdict regarding Dafa practitioners Li Ling and Pei Jilin who were unjustly arrested and persecuted. They also brought up the report to the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights in March 2004.

The United Nation's conclusion regarding Li Ling's case:

"Falun Gong is a type of free exercise and meditation that should be protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights articles 10, 11, 18 and 19 to deprive Li Ling and Pei Jilin's freedom. These cases belong to the No. II type of cases. The Investigation Team asked the Chinese government to change their verdict regarding Li Ling and Pei Jilin's cases and obey the basic principles and rules of the International Human Rights Joint Pledge."

"The Investigation Team also noticed that the Chinese government did not deny that Li Ling and Pei Jilin's detention had something to do with Falun Gong. From those on-going cases, they did not find any cases indicating that Falun Gong would cause violence."

"It is a violation of International Law to impose restrictions of this type on peaceful meditation and exercise. From these cases, the government's allegations about Li Ling attending illegal protests and Pei Jilin disturbing social order did not mention violence. The conclusion from the Investigation Team was: They were arrested because they used peaceful means to exercise their rights which are protected by Universal Declaration of Human Rights regarding freedom of religion and speech to protect Falun Gong."

"In order to disprove the allegations brought on by the Investigation Team and to avoid criticism from international public opinion, the Chinese government started a new round of slander towards Falun Gong. The government claimed that Li Ling had a fair trial, but actually it was just a show. The lawyer that the government appointed not only did nothing to defend her, but also threatened her. After the first detention, she wrote an appeal clearly indicating that the reason of her arrest and detention was because she appealed for Falun Gong. The second verdict was secretly carried out between May and November of 2002. Nobody notified her family."

The Chinese government lied about Li Ling's case

The Chinese government replied to the United Nation regarding this case with false information: "Li Ling was arrested on October 27, 1999 because of an illegal protest with a number of people and was sentenced for one and a half years. After her release, she was arrested again because of disturbing social order and sentenced to four years. Both trials were public, her rights to a fair trial were guaranteed and the government offered her a defense lawyer." In the meantime, the prison sealed off all information about Li Ling.

The truth is that the Chinese government never stopped persecuting Li Ling; she suffered all sorts of torture and brutality. All the procedures during the trial violated her basic human rights.

On May 28, 2002 at around 8 p.m., Li Ling was arrested from her home and taken to the No.1 Detention Centre. She was forcibly held there for over six months. Nobody from the local Public Security, the Procurator Bureau or the Court notified Li Ling or her family of the reason for her arrest, where she was held or what kind of crime she had committed. She stood for trial twice secretly without her family present (under Chinese Law, families should be notified). The court unjustly sentenced her to four years in the Women's Prison in Liaoning Province.

While in prison, the prison guards encouraged other inmates to mentally torture Mrs. Li in order to force her to give up her belief. She was forced into hard labour for long hours daily, worsening her hypertension and heart disease. Mrs. Li was sent to the prison hospital in January 2004. On February 16 when her family visited her, she could no longer eat normally. One guard and four inmates harassed her and force-fed her daily. On February 25, when her husband visited her in hospital, Li Ling was dying, in a state of delirium, worn to a shadow and her black hair had all turned white. Her family requested her release so as to seek outside medical attention. The prison authority refused and stated that she was not sick. When the family asked "If she is not sick why is she in the prison hospital?" the authorities refused to answer. They also refused to give the medical certificate to her family.

The Chinese government did not follow the United Nation's verdict. Instead, they intensified the persecution of Li Ling and stopped a family's visiting rights.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/6/22/104594.html