Second Autopsy Reveals Only Three Internal Organs Left in Ms. Zhao Tingyun's Remains

On May 16th, 2006, Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Zhao Tingyun's family were informed that the police in Xinxiang City were going to conduct the second autopsy on Zhao Tingyun. When Ms. Zhao's family members rushed to the funeral home, they saw more than ten police cars and many police officers. Most of police and police cars left after they saw that only Ms. Zhao's husband and her son had come, but more than ten police officers remained. They followed and monitored the family members. When the legal medical examiner removed the stitches from the previous autopsy, only three internal organs were left -- the intestines, the bladder, and the womb. All the others had disappeared. The left side of the chest cavity looked normal but the right side had congealed blood and adhesions.

The persecutors claimed they had sent the other organs to Shanghai several days ago for autopsy, and the results would be back in one month. If it were truly like they said, "sending the organs to Shanghai for autopsy," what was the purpose for the second local autopsy?

Ms. Zhao Tingyun, 54, was a Falun Gong practitioner in Xinxiang City. She was illegally arrested on January 6th, 2006. Her home was searched at that time and her husband was also arrested and detained. Around 9:00 p.m. on January 15th, 2006, at the detention center, Xu Qiang, head of the Monitoring and Supervision Branch of the Xinxiang Police Department, told Zhao Tingyun's husband that Zhao Tingyun died between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. that morning. He ordered Ms. Zhao's husband to sign the autopsy authorization. Persecutor Xu Qiang refused to let the family see the body first and threatened that an inspection would not be accurate 12 hours after death anyway. After Ms. Zhao's husband signed the authorization, he was released home. The autopsy was conducted without any family members present. The autopsy report was unclear about the source of the injuries on Ms. Zhao's body.

According to detainees in the detention center, two police agents carried Zhao Tingyun back to the cell on the afternoon of January 14, since she was unable to walk by herself. That night, around 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m., cries were heard from the cell, "Someone died! Someone died!" The cries came from the detainees in the same cell. No action was taken in the detention center until 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. Ms. Zhao was then taken to the Center Hospital. The doctor at the hospital was very angry and said, "She has been dead for a long time. Why did you still send her to the hospital?" Then they sent her to the No. 3 Hospital affiliated with the Xinxing Medical Institution. The autopsy was conducted on January 16th.

On January 16th, after Zhao Tingyun's family made repeated requests, they were finally allowed to see her remains. Agent Xu Qiang led four or five police officers and more than ten plainclothes police to follow the family. Xu Qiang said that the remains must be cremated on January 28th and ordered the family to sign the authorization. He intimidated them saying that the cremation would be done even without their permission! Ms. Zhao's family members refused to cooperate with such an unreasonable demand and requested permission to investigate the cause of death. Xu Qiang said, "There are no other causes but her hunger strike. She died of starvation and lack of water. There are medical entry records every other day during her last several days."

The family members noticed the evidence of pain in Ms. Zhao's facial expression and that her neck was twisted, so much so that it was difficult to recognize her. When the family members tried to straighten her neck and her messy hair, they found a red mark on her neck, four or five inches long. They also discovered a five-centimeter-long wound behind her left ear, opening outward. When they questioned the authorities as to the cause of the wounds, Xu Qiang lied and then said the autopsy caused them. The family members also found an additional bloody bump on the back of Ms. Zhao's head, located at a very critical position.

The family members asked Xu Qiang to come to check it. Quickly moving backward, Xu Qiang waved his hands and said, "I don't want to look at. I don't want to look at it." All the police officers ran out of the room. Since then, they have not mentioned the cremation authorization again. Nevertheless, the room that held Ms. Zhao's remains was monitored 24 hours a day and no one was allowed to go nearby. They refused the family members' requests to see Ms. Zhao's remain again, no matter how they kept asking for it.

Zhao Tingyun's family members tried to hire a lawyer to handle the case. Several law offices refused to take the case. Finally, they hired two lawyers, but the persecutors still refused their request to see Ms. Zhao's remains and ignored their request to see the autopsy report. Finally, after the family members called Xinxiang City Mayor Wu Tianjun, the persecutors were forced to agree to show the autopsy report. On February 24, they only allowed three people from Zhao Tingyun's family and two lawyers to attend a meeting, but nine police officers were present. Xu Qiang ordered, "No written records! No videos or photos. No one will be permitted to talk about what will be discussed here." Seeing the situation, the two lawyers were intimidated and decided to drop the case. The family members tried to find any lawyers in Beijing who were willing to take the case. The response from Beijing lawyers was, "Just accept the result. This regime is so bad that you might lose your life if you continue to seek justice."

The family members were powerless and could do nothing but weep. It was said, the persecutors ordered the second autopsy to force a cremation of Ms. Zhao's remains.

The Expert Evidence Center of Technology Research conducted the second autopsy

Address: No. 1347, West Guangfu Rd, Shanghai City
Tel: 86-21-62440148
Fax: 86-21-62442691

Personnel involved in the autopsy:

Qin Zhiqiang, deputy head legal medical expert
Zhang Jianhua, legal medical expert

Personnel involved the case:

Xiao Yukui, head of Xinxiang City's 610 Office: 86-373-2026482 (Office)
Hao Jingyu, head of the "Anti evil-[slanderous term omitted]" Section: 86-373-5048599 (Office) 86-13703738887 (Cell)
Zuo Cuanbao: 86-373-5030552 (Office)
Luan Jianfeng: 86-13839062222 (Cell)
Zhang Zhang, head of the Political and Security Section, Hongqi Branch
Xu Qiang, head of the Principle Inspection Division