Ran Hengbing, 76, from Sichuan Province Dies in Detention Centre One Week After Being Arrested, His Son Still Detained

Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Ran Hengbing, 76, lived in Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province. His son Ran Tongyi (also a practitioner) was arrested by State Security agents on October 11th, 2007. Then, Ran Hengbing was ordered by Jiangyou City State Security agents to come for questioning on October 15th, 2007, and he was arrested and detained in the Jiangyou City Detention Centre. He died under suspicious circumstances in the detention centre on October 22nd, 2007. The Detention Centre Administration refused to allow his family to visit during his detention.

Mr. Ran Hengbing was a retired Chief Conductor of the Jiangyou City Transportation Bureau. His mental and physical health was very good as a result of practising Falun Dafa. At midnight on October 11th, 2007, his third son, Ran Tongyi, was arrested. His home was ransacked on the morning of October 12th, 2007.

On October 14th, 2007, Mr. Ran Hengbing and his wife went to the State Security Division Office to explain the facts about Falun Dafa. They said, "More than 80 countries and regions around the world allow people to practise Falun Gong, why do you not allow it in China?" The State Security agents answered, "China has its Chinese laws; you can practise all you want out of the country."

On the afternoon of October 15th, 2007, agent Luo Gang (male) and another agent in his 20s came to talk to Mr. Ran and told him to go to the Jiangyou City Police Department to answer some questions. Mr. Ran thought it was about his third son, who was still detained, so he followed them. His other family members also wished to go, but the agents did not approve and lied, saying that Mr. Ran would be home very soon.

Mr. Ran never returned home. Agents asked his family to deliver bedding to the State Security Division in the City Police Department on October 16th, 2007. They asked Division Leader Yang Liusong (male), "Why won't you release such an elderly man in his 70s?" Yang answered, "The policy has changed. Even if he were over 100 years old, he would not be released."

During the days Mr. Ran was in custody, several agents were assigned to patrol around his house, and they threatened the neighbours against speaking out.

At around 10 a.m. on October 22nd, 2007, the State Security agents asked Mr. Ran's oldest and youngest sons to go the the funeral home. His family then learned Mr. Ran had died at 5:45 a.m. on October 22nd, 2007. Agents allowed his wife to go to the funeral home at noon with her sons, where they found people from the Mianyang City Court/Procuratorate, the Jiangyou City Court, the Jiangyou City Police Department, and the State Security Division, forensic doctors, and guards from the Jiangyou City Detention Centre waiting there. They arranged a "talk" with Mr. Ran's family, saying Mr. Ran died of an urgent illness, and they would conduct an autopsy to prove it, but Mr. Ran's wife did not consent.

On October 23rd, 2007, agents forced one of Mr. Ran's sons go to Zhongba Town and sign his name consenting to an autopsy and cremation of the body. Family members saw that Mr. Ran's ears were very dark, and blood came out of his mouth when forensic doctors were examining his body.

Jiangyou City State Security Division Leader Yang Liusong (male): 86-13508114696 (Mobile)
Jiangyou City State Security Division CCP Secretary Xu Jianxin (male): 86-816-3261345, ext.-Room 3179

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/11/3/165849.html