PROMINENT Chinese human rights lawyer Li Baiguang has died under mysterious circumstances in an eastern Jiangsu province military hospital, his close friend said.
Li was a well-known lawyer who defended farmers and Christian pastors, work that garnered him an award from the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy in 2008.
He died just hours after being admitted to No 81 People’s Liberation Army Hospital for a minor stomach ache, a relative of Li’s told Bob Fu, a religious activist who has known the lawyer for more than a decade.
Fu said in a statement through his US-based Christian non-profit group China Aid that the “Chinese regime should be totally held accountable” for Li’s sudden and “mysterious” death.
“The hospital alleged that he had liver problems and that he bled to death, but Li was previously healthy,” the statement said.
A spokesman for the hospital said he had not heard of Li’s case.
“I do not know who this person is,” the spokesman added, saying that death and causes of death are a “private matter”.
William Nee, a China researcher for Amnesty International, said: “The government has the obligation to ensure that lawyers can carry out their professional duties without fear of intimidation or interference, and without being identified with their clients and causes.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here