Victim:

Mei Yulan, female, 44, resident of Chaoyang District, Beijing

Location of Torture and Death:

Nutong Cell # 607, Chaoyang District Detention Center, Beijing

Perpetrators:

Deputies and prisoners at the Chaoyang District Detention Center, Beijing

A Brief Report of the Incident:

On May 13, 2000, Ms. Mei Yulan was arrested and arbitrarily detained in Nutong Cell # 607, Chaoyang District Detention Center, Beijing, merely because she did Falun Gong exercises in front of her home. Ms. Mei, together with other detained Falun Gong practitioners, started a hunger strike for unconditional release and the right to practice Falun Gong. To torture them, the guards of Chaoyang District Detention Center started force-feeding these practitioners with over-saturated salt water and soymilk. However, instead having an experienced person perform the force-feedings, the guards ordered a criminal in custody to do it.

On the morning of May 17, 2000, the guards once again dragged Ms. Mei out of her cell and force-fed her. Her screaming could be heard from the surrounding cells. On the night of May 18, 2000, she had a severe headache and experienced difficulty breathing. Gradually her hands and feet became cold and her eyes stopped moving. The other practitioners detained in the same cell immediately informed the doctor on duty. Ms. Mei was then taken to the emergency room of the Civil Aviation Hospital.

On May 22, 2000, two practitioners went to visit Ms. Mei in the hospital and found her eyes were covered with white tape. They called her name three times but there was no response. Her chest heaved up and down with the assistance of medical devices. When the visitors inquired about Ms. Mei's situation, the doctor only said that Ms. Mei was a “special” patient and all information was to remain confidential by order of the authorities.

At 4:10 p.m., on May 23, 2000, Ms. Mei passed away in the hospital as a direct result of the force-feeding.

type=Case,Death; type=Case,Women; type=Detention Center,Chaoyang District Detention Center; location=Beijing