Killed for Their Belief: Falun Gong Deaths from Abuse in 2009

“You could write about a Falun Gong practitioner, abused or killed by the Chinese government, every day.”

– Jay Nordlinger, National Review Online, January 2010

“They shocked me with electric batons until I almost died.”

– Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Huang Lizhong to his wife when she visited him in prison on October 20, 2009; five days later, Huang died in custody.

I. Introduction

By the time of writing, The Falun Dafa Information Center had documented the deaths of 96 Falun Gong practitioners between January and December 2009 resulting from severe abuse in police custody or other forms of persecution. Given the difficulty of obtaining information from China, the actual death toll is likely significantly higher. As delayed reports emerge in the coming weeks, the confirmed death toll is also expected to climb. (read more)

II. Key Patterns and Sample Cases from among 96 Confirmed Deaths

• Key Pattern #1: Many deaths occurred shortly after arrest 

• Key Pattern #2: Nearly one third of the victims were detained during pre-Olympic round-ups

• Key Pattern #3: Over one-third of deaths occurred in custody

• Key Pattern #4: Many deaths occurred shortly after release due to torture in custody

• Key Pattern #5: Deaths due to denial of right to health while in detention

• Key Pattern #6: Authorities consistently seek to cover-up Falun Gong deaths

III. Falun Gong Deaths Cited in 2009 Annual Report of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions

In addition to the above cases from 2009, this chapter lists 14 cases of deaths in custody or shortly after release that were included in a joint appeal submitted to the Chinese government by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial Executions requesting additional information. As of May 2009, when the Rapporteur’s annual report was published, he had yet to receive a reply from the Chinese authorities. (read more)

Appendix: Chart of Documented Falun Gong Deaths in 2009 (chart)

Full Report: “Killed for Their Belief: Falun Gong Deaths from Abuse in 2009” (PDF)