bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Choi Chi-yuk

Five people, including at least one Chinese police officer, are being investigated over the mysterious death of a 29-year-old well-educated environmentalist while in custody after being detained after visiting a foot massage parlour in early May.
Lei Yang’s unexplained death on May 7 has sparked a national outcry.
Beijing’s Changping district prosecution department completed a preliminary investigation a few days ago into the death of Lei, who had been held by local police on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes, according to the official Weibo account of Beijing’s procuratorate.
Family of man who died in police custody in Beijing files complaint alleging abuse
The department said it had concluded that the case met the conditions for further a investigation.
On Wednesday the procuratorate’s website said five people, including a police officer, were to be investigated over Lei’s unexplained death.
Lei, a graduate of the prestigious Renmin University in Beijing, who worked for an environmental organisation affiliated with the mainland government, was detained after being intercepted by a number of plainclothes officers before being found dead while in a custody on May 7.
The outcry over his death led to days of online calls by lawyers and internet users demanding an inquiry to find out if his death was a result of torture by police while in custody.
In the face of the mounting public pressure, Lei’s case was assigned to the fourth branch of the Beijing municipal prosecution department to carry out an investigation, the procuratorate’s Weibo message said.
China to release autopsy of former student who died in police custody
Its website added: “On June 1, the fourth branch of the municipal prosecution department in Beijing decided to investigate a total of five people, including a police officer with the surname Jia, based at the Dongxiaokuo police substation in the Changping district police bureau, before informing relatives of Lei in accordance with relevant procedures.”
The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has pledged to continue cooperating with the prosecution department’s investigation.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun has vowed to boost the public’s sense of safety and satisfaction by cracking down on various crimes to address outstanding problems following complaints made during a conference attended by high-ranking police officers, the ministry’s official website reported.
“[We must] handle cases involving any police officer who has been found to have committed mistakes in the line of duty to ensure they strictly abide by relevant laws, instead of protecting them illicitly and covering them up,” Guo said.


Chinese police officer probed over death in custody of man held after visiting massage parlour

The wife of Lei Yang speaks to the media in an undated photo. Photo: SCMP Pictures

News

China

Politics