Investigation of the Chongqing Judicial System: an Account of the Death of Jiang Xiqing and the Torture of His Lawyers

Introduction to the Investigation into the Death of Jiang Xiqing

In July 1999, the Chongqing City judicial system and 610 Office¹ began a campaign of genocide against Falun Gong practitioners. Law enforcement agencies deny citizens freedom of belief as they continue to arrest, detain and torture Falun Gong practitioners. Without having committed any crime, practitioners of Falun Gong are tried, sentenced and tortured, which has resulted in injury, disablement and death. The situation became much more serious after Bo Xilai came to Chongqing. Bo Xilai used violence and terror to obstruct case investigations and he promoted corruption by the police in their law enforcement duties.

In January 2009, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Jiang Xiqing fainted from torture by police at Xishanping Labour Camp, Chongqing City. He was then forcibly cremated while he was still alive. Lawyer Zhang Kai of Beijing City Yijia Law Office, and lawyer Li Chunfu of Beijing City Gaobo Longhua Law Office, were entrusted by Jiang Xiqing's son, Jiang Hongbin, to provide legal services related to the death of his father as a result of torture. On the afternoon of May 13th, 2009, these two lawyers were at the home of Jiang Hongbin discussing the case. The lawyers were taken from the home by several officials from Jiangjin District Politics and Law Committee, 610 Office, Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau, Jiangjin Sub-bureau, and Youxi Police Station. They were detained, tortured and interrogated for over 5 hours.

On May 14th, the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (WOIPFG) announced its intent to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the death of Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Xiqing by the Chongqing judicial system. They also sought to determine which units and officials were responsible for the torture of his attorneys. Below is the full text account of this investigation.

Case Summary

On May 13th, 2008, two days after the Sichuan earthquake, Jiang Xiqing was arrested from home by local police of the Domestic Security Division. On that same day, his wife Luo Zehui, also went missing in Youxi. Family members investigated the circumstances around their disappearance and found that the Jiangjin District procurator had given authorization for the arrests. Jiang Xiqing was sentenced to one year of forced labour, while Luo Zehui was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment. Luo Zehui's family has not received any written judgement, nor have they been able to see her in person.

On January 28th, 2009, 66 year old Mr. Jiang Xiqing, a Falun Gong practitioner from Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, fainted from torture by police at Xishanping Labour Camp, Chongqing City. Authorities then declared him dead as a result of a stroke. Jiang Xiqing's children arrived at the morgue and found their father's body still warm even after seven hours in a freezer. Their request for immediate medical intervention to revive their father was ignored by police in an attempt to cover up their crime. Police forced the family from the morgue and their father's body was cremated while he still lived!

Lawyer Zhang Kai of the Beijing Yijia Law Office and lawyer Li Chunfu of the Beijing Gaobo Longhua Law Office were entrusted by Jiang Xiqing's son, Jiang Hongbin, to provide legal services. On the afternoon of May 13th, 2009, while the two lawyers were learning about the case at the home of Jiang's son, they were taken away by over 20 people from Jiangjin District Politics and Law Committee, 610 Office, Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau Jiangjin Sub-bureau, and Youxi Police Station. They were detained, hung up, tortured and interrogated for over 5 hours.

The Involved Primary Work Units and Responsible Individuals

1. Chongqing City party committee first secretary Bo Xilai
2. Chongqing City party committee member, Politics and Law Committee Secretary, and public security Bureau Chief Liu Guanglei
3. Chongqing City Reeducation through Forced Labour Bureau administrative department Head Liu Caimao
4. Xishanping Labour Camp administration section chief Liu Hua
5. Xishanping Labour Camp Training Squadron commander Meng Shuping
6. Xishanping Labour Camp No. 7 brigade (education brigade) Chief Tian Xiaohai, No. 2 squadron, Commander Wang Jing, Wang Xianhua, Hu Yuejin, instructor Li Yong, managing clerk Chen Denghai, educational clerk Yan Fei and so on
7. Chongqing City Jiangjin District party committee and District Politics and Law Committee Secretary Li Deliang
8. Politics and Law Committee 610 personnel Qiu Chunfei
9. Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau director Li Jianqiang and Domestic Security Division leader Mu Chaoheng
10. Youxi Police Station manager Gong Xinghua
11. Jiangjin District Lishi National Tax Office manager Gou Bin, Jiangjin District Domestic Security Division
12. Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau
13. Jiangjin District Degan Police Station
14. Youxi Police Station
15. Jiangjin District Degan Town memorial arch residents' committee and so on.

Also, according to the investigation of WOIPFG, personnel directly responsible for torturing the two lawyers were: Jiangjin District Police Station police officers Zou Xin, Zhou Kaijun and Chen Wei; Jiangjin District 610 Office chief Wan Fenghua; Jiangjin District Public Security Bureau Domestic Security Division chief Mu Chaoheng; Domestic Security Division police Hu Liang and another policeman with police number 202729. Zou Xin was most prominent in the beating of the lawyers.

Our tenet is that all those involved in this criminal activity should be held accountable. In the case of organizations or groups involved in the crimes, each individual participant will be accountable for his actions. Planners and directors are deemed as responsible as those who directly committed the crimes. Based on this principle, all crimes committed under the auspices of various organizations and government bodies will eventually be traced to the responsible parties.

According to the premise that freedom of belief is a basic human right, then practising Falun Gong does not breach the law or constitute commission of a crime. All participants in the trials of Falun Gong practitioners will be investigated and held accountable. This includes presiding judges, heads of judges, judges, acting judges and public prosecutors. In this case, those responsible people also include staff who sent Jiang Xiqing to forced labour and who tortured him and caused his death. Also, those judges who held a trial in the case of Luo Zehu must be accountable for their actions. Anyone directly and indirectly responsible for interfering in the lawyers' investigation into the death of Jiang Xiqing, and subsequently their torture, will be held to account for their deeds. The party committee, politics and law committee secretary, 610 Office chief and other members who participated in this case, will undertake personal liability separately, according to their actions and involvement.

WOIPFG hopes that any personnel involved in illegal activities against Falun Gong practitioners will regain their conscience and realize the seriousness of the situation. Consider the future in store for you and your family members. Help to expose the behind-the-scenes plotting, atone for misdeeds by meritorious service, and strive for lenient treatment at the final trial. No matter whether you are able to step forward now, or not, the truth will certainly become known to the world. It will be too late for regret after the Chinese Communist Party falls, and you must submit to punishment.

"World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (WOIPFG) was established on January 20th, 2003. Its mission is to help the entities that administer international justice and legal punishment to thoroughly investigate all crimes related to the persecution of Falun Gong, including the governments, organizations, and individuals involved. No matter how far away or how long it takes; we will investigate this until it is resolved. Join us, speak out, bring the killers to justice, and awaken the whole world!

World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong

May 14th, 2009

Website: http://upholdjustice.org/, http://zhuichaguoji.org

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/5/20/201227.html