Ms. Jia Yan Dies in Police Custody in Heilongjiang Province

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Jia Yan lived in Mulan County, Heilongjiang Province. On December 6, 2007, she was arrested by policemen Jiang Shuchen and others from Linye Station, along with Mr. Meng Xianyu, Mr. Sui Ximin, and Ms. Luo Yanxia. The four practitioners were distributing copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in Xitun Village, Dongxing Town, Mulan County, at the time of their arrest. They were detained in Tieli City Detention Center (under the Forestry Police Department). Ms. Jia' family received a call three months later that Ms. Jia Yan had died.

At around 9:30 a.m. on March 17, 2008, Ms. Jia's friends and family went to the Forestry Police Department. When they arrived, more than 30 officers were waiting for them. Director Yu (male, given name unknown) met with them and said, "Please ask me any thing you would like to know. I will answer your questions."

Question: "How did she die?"

Answer: "Suicide. She hung herself."

Question: "There are cameras monitoring the cells 24 hours a day. How did no one know, and why was she not rescued?"

Answer: "We did not catch her early enough."

Question: "The guards patrol the cells and the cameras strictly monitor the inmates. How did she hang herself? What did she use to hang herself?"

Answer: "She used plastic that is used to seal the windows."

......

Ms. Jia' family asked to look at the place where she was supposed to have hung herself but this there were not allowed to do. They also asked to view the camera recordings, but this request also denied. Forensic doctor Shi Xiaoqian (gender unknown) came from Yichun City Police Department to conduct the autopsy. Ms. Jia's family demanded that they be allowed to watch the autopsy. They were only allowed to watch from a distance.

Ms. Jia' body was stored a mile away in an unknown place. Her body was very thin and disfigured. There was a cut on her neck, and muscle protruded from the wound. Both of her ears were purple blue, her teeth were clamped tightly closed, and one eye was open and one eye was closed.

The other three practitioners are still being detained and are on a hunger strike. Their families have asked to see them, but their requests have been rejected. According to inside sources, the practitioners have been on hunger strike for several days and their lives are in danger.

March 20, 2008

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