Opinion | Sister speaks out after Henan petitioner beaten to death by black guards

The sister, Zhang Yaohua, told Caixin magazine in a story published this week that the family had been forbidden to speak out about the case and had been coerced into signing an agreement acknowledging that her brother had died of a sudden illness.

She was also forbidden to take photos of Zhang Yaodong’s body, although she managed to take a few with her mobile phone before the body was cremated, she said.

Zhang Yaodong’s children were paid 3 million yuan (HK$3.7 million) on November 26, but the government has refused to pay the rest of the compensation after the sister revealed his story online, said Caixin.

Over the years, the sister had supported Zhang’s petitioning for justice over a business dispute. On November 6, he thought his efforts had finally paid off when he received a call to come home.

His sister had called to tell him that local courts had finally agreed to resolve issues resulting from his unsuccessful lawsuit with a business partner years ago.