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Rights Groups Urge China to Investigate Death of Activist in Police Custody

Joyce Huang

   International rights groups and activists are calling for an
   independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death
   of grassroots legal activist Ji Sizun. Ji died of cancer Wednesday in a
   police-guarded hospital in the southeastern province of Fujian, two
   months after his release from prison.
   Ji's remains were cremated by local authorities just hours after his
   death.
   Ji, who was known as an unregistered barefoot lawyer, provided legal
   advice and training to socially-disadvantaged groups including women
   forced to have abortions and victims of forced evictions and land
   expropriation.
   Investigate
   "Chinese authorities need to investigate Ji Sizun's hospitalization and
   death and hold accountable anyone responsible for wrongdoing," said
   Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a press
   statement.
   "For human rights defenders in China, prison sentences are increasingly
   turning into death sentences," she added.
   Ji was first jailed in 2009 for three years on the charge of "forging
   official seals and documents" after he applied for a permit to organize
   protests during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
   In 2016, he was givenanother four-and-a-half-year jail term on charges
   of "gathering a crowdto disrupt public order" and "picking quarrels and
   stirring uptrouble" after he helped petitioners organize protests and
   for his support for the pro-democracy movement inHong Kong.
   Ji is not the first rights defender to die in official custody, rights
   groups note.
   Over the past few years, severalChinese dissidents have suffered a
   similar fate - seriously ill in detention, denied adequate care, and
   dead - either in detention or shortly after being released.
   Those who died include dissident writer Yang Tongyan in 2017, revered
   Tibetan lama Tenzin Delek Rinpochein 2015 and activist Cao Shunliin
   2014, according to Human Rights Watch.

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