July 11, 2012. Amnesty International reports that Li Wangling, sister of the late dissident Li Wangyang, and her husband Zhao Baozhu were detained on June 7 and have not been heard from since June 9. Their whereabouts are unknown.
The disappearance follows the couple’s public questioning of the circumstances of Li Wangyang’s June 6 death in a Shaoyang hospital. Their detention and loss of contact deepen concerns that relatives seeking answers have themselves been subjected to coercive measures.
Authorities should disclose the couple’s location, guarantee their safety, restore their liberty unless they are charged with a recognizable criminal offense, and permit access to legal counsel and family.
The unresolved circumstances of Li Wangyang’s death and the treatment of his relatives now form a single accountability issue: whether people can safely seek truth about the death of a former political prisoner.
Source: Amnesty International, July 11, 2012.