FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 19, 2026
October 19, 2026 — The Free China Movement called for independent investigations into a series of reported deaths involving dissidents and rights defenders in prisons, detention centers, police custody, or under continuing state control.
The initiative begins with twelve memorial cases: Shi Tingfu, Guo Hongwei, Dong Jianbiao, Wang Meiyu, Sun Wenguang, Peng Ming, Ye Zhong, Li Hong (also known as Zhang Jianhong), Ji Sizun, Cao Shunli, Liu Xiaobo, and Yang Tianshui. The factual record differs by case. Some deaths and places of custody are verified; some causes remain contested or unresolved; and Sun Wenguang’s reported 2021 death remains probable but unconfirmed.
The Movement calls for independent preservation and examination of detention and medical records, incident logs, surveillance, autopsy materials, duty rosters, orders, complaints, communications, and witness testimony.
“No office should confer impunity. Those responsible — from any direct actor through prison and public-security leadership to local or senior political authorities — should be investigated, and where admissible evidence supports charges, prosecuted in a competent, independent court with full fair-trial guarantees.”
The Movement’s advocacy position draws principally on international human rights law. Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects the right to life; the Convention against Torture requires criminalization and accountability for torture; and the Minnesota Protocol establishes standards for investigating potentially unlawful deaths, including deaths in custody. Where evidence proves a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population and the required individual linkage, conduct may also warrant examination as crimes against humanity under article 7 of the Rome Statute.
The Movement urges lawful international cooperation, universal-jurisdiction review where national law permits, and targeted visa or financial sanctions. Warrants, extradition requests, or international notices should follow only after a competent authority finds the legal and evidentiary basis.
“The purpose is not collective blame,” the statement continues. “It is individualized accountability: preserve the record, identify who did what, establish causation and intent, examine what superiors knew and could have prevented, and try provable cases fairly.”
The Movement asks record-holders to preserve originals and use a secure, consent-based submission process that protects witnesses, medical privacy, and future proceedings.
Legal note. No person is identified in this release as presently wanted, indicted, or guilty. The proposed Republic of China (Taiwan) legal basis is an advocacy position requiring review by qualified ROC counsel. Taiwan does not have a codified crimes-against-humanity offense equivalent to Rome Statute article 7.
Preliminary memorial docket
Twelve files, twelve distinct evidence records. “Verified” confirms only the stated fact. “Probable” is credible but not fully confirmed. “Unresolved” means competing or insufficient evidence. No row assigns criminal responsibility.
| Person | Established or probable record | Unresolved / correction |
|---|---|---|
| Shi Tingfu | Died 22 Sep 2026 — VERIFIED. Xinjiang Shahe Prison — PROBABLE. | Cause UNRESOLVED; “heart attack” is the prison’s claim. Son said he looked fine at last visit. |
| Guo Hongwei | Died 9 Apr 2021; Gongzhuling Prison; brain hemorrhage — all VERIFIED. | Responsibility requires separate proof. |
| Dong Jianbiao | Died about 22 Sep 2022 — PROBABLE. Chaling Prison — VERIFIED. | Cause contested and UNRESOLVED. |
| Wang Meiyu | Died 23 Sep 2019; Hengyang custody — VERIFIED. | Cause UNRESOLVED; “sudden death” is the official claim. |
| Sun Wenguang | Reported 2021 death — PROBABLE. | Death remains UNCONFIRMED; do not present as established. |
| Peng Ming | Died 29 Nov 2016; Xianning Prison — VERIFIED. Heart disease — PROBABLE. | No official cause was given. |
| Ye Zhong | Died Oct 2023; Fuzhou police custody — VERIFIED. | Cause contested and UNRESOLVED. |
| Li Hong (also known as Zhang Jianhong) | Died 31 Dec 2010 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — VERIFIED; after medical parole in Ningbo. | Claim that he “died in prison” is UNSUPPORTED. |
| Ji Sizun | Died 10 Jul 2019; in ICU under guard — VERIFIED. | Cause PROBABLE / UNRESOLVED. |
| Cao Shunli | Died 14 Mar 2014 after denial of medical treatment — VERIFIED. | Individual criminal attribution still requires proof. |
| Liu Xiaobo | Died 13 Jul 2017; liver cancer — VERIFIED. | Any allegation about responsibility requires a defined theory and evidence. |
| Yang Tianshui (also known as Yang Tongyan) | Died 7 Nov 2017 — VERIFIED. | Custody, medical history, causation, and individual roles require case-file sourcing. |
Full package. The complete accountability package — publication posture, news story and legal explainer, legal grounds and responsibility ladder, media Q&A, and sources — is published with this release: No office is above the law (PDF).
Editions in preparation: Traditional Chinese (ZH-Hant), French, German, and Spanish.