Coronavirus: mother of whistle-blower Li Wenliang demands answers for his treatment by Wuhan police

Ophthalmologist died on Friday after becoming infected while fighting the outbreak on the medical front line

Li’s wife issues statement thanking public for their messages of support, disavowing fake online appeals for financial aid

Reading Time:3 minutes

Li Wenliang’s mother says she wants an explanation from the police as to why they silenced her son. Photo: Handout

Published: 2:02pm, 9 Feb 2020Updated: 5:18pm, 14 Feb 2020

The mother of Li Wenliang, the doctor who was silenced after blowing the whistle early on about the coronavirus and later died from it, paid tribute to him on Saturday while demanding redress for his treatment by Wuhan police.

In footage published on Pear Video, Li’s mother, whose full name was not given, said Li was asked to go to the police station and sign a letter of reprimand for spreading inaccurate information about the outbreak before the matter had been thoroughly investigated.

“Before the facts were set straight, he was called to the Wuhan police station in the middle of the night,” she said.

“We will not be OK if they do not give us an explanation.”

Tributes to Li have poured in to the hospital he worked at in Wuhan. Photo: EPA-EFE

On December 30, Li sent a message to his friends in a private WeChat group saying there were seven cases of Sars being treated in Wuhan hospitals, but later clarified that it was an unidentified form of coronavirus.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x