(Minghui.org) After Mr. Sun Pijin died in custody one day after he was arrested for practicing Falun Gong, the authorities forced his family to have his body cremated eight days later. They also forbade his family from appealing or filing any lawsuit against his wrongful death.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Sun, a Mengyin County, Shandong Province resident, was arrested by officers from the Mengyin Street No. 1 Police Station while working on his family farm on June 17, 2021.
The arrest came seven days after the police raided Mr. Sun’s home and confiscated his Falun Gong books, informational materials, a printer and computer. His daughter, Ms. Sun Yujiao, was arrested during the police raid. She was first interrogated at the police station and later transferred to the Linyi Detention Center.
Although the police didn’t arrest Mr. Sun during the raid on June 10, they came back a week later and took him away.
On June 18, Mr. Sun’s family was informed that he had died. His two brothers and a sister-in-law were summoned to a local hospital at 2:30 p.m. to verify his identity. They said that dozens of officers surrounded and intimidated them, which left them deeply traumatized.
An officer from the 610 Office claimed that Mr. Sun refused to have the coronavirus test and that he jumped from a building and died instantly. The police cordoned off the scene and didn’t allow anyone to get close.
When Mr. Sun’s family saw his body again at the Mengyin County Funeral Home, they found that he was leaking brain fluid, one of his eyeballs was missing, and his abdomen and half of his head were sunken. The police refused to allow his family to order an autopsy.
The authorities arranged for the police to closely monitor Mr. Sun’s brothers and his father-in-law. They weren’t allowed to hire a lawyer, appeal the case or contact any Falun Gong practitioners. They weren’t even allowed to discuss the compensation from Mr. Sun’s death with others. Police officers also patrolled Mr. Sun’s village, terrifying the villagers as well.
On June 26, the authorities forced Mr. Sun’s family to have his body cremated, leaving the real cause of his death a permanent mystery.
At the time of writing, Mr. Sun’s daughter is still held at the Linyi Detention Center. It’s not clear whether her family is allowed to visit her and whether they have informed her of Mr. Sun’s death.
Mr. Sun’s death was preceded by the passing of his wife, Ms. Yu Zaihua, who was persecuted to death in 2015, also for practicing Falun Gong. She was 47.
Related report:
Having Lost His Wife to the Persecution of Their Faith, Shandong Man Dies One Day After Arrest
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