China: Organs removed from prisoner of conscience

Authorities in China removed organs from the body of Christian prisoner of conscience Peng Ming against his family’s wishes, according to a statement by the family dated 10 December and translated by China Aid.

On 2 December, CSW expressed concerns over the lack of information about the death of Peng Ming, a long term political prisoner in Hubei, China. A second official statement from his family, published by China Aid, claims that Peng Ming’s body was dissected against his family’s will on 5 December and that his brain and heart were removed. The family had previously requested an autopsy by “an international, independent medical authority acceptable to the family”.

Peng Ming died in prison on 29 November while serving a life sentence for engaging in “terrorist activities”. Peng’s brother Peng Zhangming told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the death certificate gave no details of the cause of death. According to the news and commentary websiteChina Change, many in the dissident community inside and outside China have “expressed doubt over the official version of events, particularly given the fact that Peng’s older brother visited him as recently as November 24, and reported that he appeared to be in good health”.

In the statement issued by Peng Ming’s family on 10 December, they reported that the authorities would only allow one member of the overseas family to attend Peng Ming’s funeral. In protest,they have decided unanimously that none of Peng Ming’s overseas family will attend the ceremony.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “The lack of transparent information about the causes of Peng Ming’s death is deeply troubling. In their statement, Peng Ming’s family have described themselves as “fragile eggs facing the high wall of despotism”. Their three requests – for viewing rights of his body for family members, for an independent autopsy, and for all Peng’s personal possessions to be returned to his family – have not been met, and the dissection of his body, without the family’s consent, can only have made their suffering more acute. We call on the Chinese authorities to investigate immediately and impartially the causes of Peng Ming’s death and potential human rights abuses committed by the prison authorities, and to allow all family members to travel to China for the funeral.”