Mr. Yu Zhongzhu was arrested on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics games. Five months later he was sentenced to six years in prison. He died on January 14, 2010 and his body was cremated without autopsy.
Mr. Yu Zhongzhu Dies in Tailai Prison, Heilongjiang Province
Name: Yu Zhongzhu (于忠柱)
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Address: Guyuan Town, Songling District, Daxinganling City, Heilongjiang
Province (黑龙江省大兴安岭松岭区古源镇)
Occupation: Guyuan Forestry Farm employee
Date of Death: January 14, 2010
Date of Most Recent Arrest: August 8, 2008
Most Recent Place of Detention: Heilongjiang Province Tailai Prison
(黑龙江省泰来监狱)
City: Daxinganling
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing,
imprisonment, interrogation, detention
On January 14, 2010, Mr. Yu Zhongzhu's family received a call from Tailai Prison, asking them to go to the prison hospital because Mr. Yu was in critical condition. When his family rushed there, all were body-searched by the guards and not allowed to bring any communication devices or cameras. Mr. Yu died at 10 p.m. the same day. The authorities cremated Yu's body two days later, before an autopsy could be conducted and without the family's permission. Though contrary to Chinese and international law, such actions to cover-up signs of abuse are common practice in cases where Falun Gong practitioners die in custody from torture-related injuries.
At 5:30 p.m. on August 8, 2008, the day the Beijing Olympics opened, more than a dozen police officers arrested five Falun Gong practitioners from Guyuan Town: Ms. Wang Yuhong, Ms. Li Yajuan, Ms. Zui Weiyan, Ms. Sun Lijuan, and Mr. Yu Zhongzhu (Ms. Sun's husband). They also arrested three more practitioners from Hanjiayuan Town in neighboring Huma County: Ms. Zhao Peijin, Ms. Se Guirong, and Ms. Li Yaru.
The police were from Daxinanling Prefecture Police Department and Domestic Security Bureau, the Domestic Security Team of Songling District Police Precinct, Hanjiayuan Police Precinct, and Guyuan Town Police Station, including the Domestic Security Team Captain Wang Jingkai and the 610 Office Director Guang Congrong. They detained the practitioners in Hanjiayuan Town Detention Center and Shibazhan Detention Center.
The eight practitioners were put on trial on December 22, 2008. All of eight families hired lawyers to defend their innocence. At the beginning of 2009, Ms. Wang Yuhong was sentenced to six years in prison, Ms. Li Yajuan three years, Ms. Zui Weiyan four years, Ms. Sun Lijuan four years, Ms. Zhao Peijin five years, Ms. Se Guirong four years, Ms. Li Yaru three years, and Mr.Yu Zhongzhu six years. They all filed appeals individually, but they were all denied. In addition, the 610 Office in Daxinganling Prefecture threatened to arrest the eight lawyers who defended them.
On April 27, 2009, the seven women were taken to Harbin Women's Prison, while Mr. Yu Zhongzhu was taken to Tailai Prison. It is not known exactly what torture he endured, only that he died in the prison eight months later.