November 5, 2001

There are claims by the Falun Gong spiritual movement that one of the group's followers has died after being released from a labor camp in Northern China.

The group says 56-year old Ren Menjun endured eight months of torture while at the Handan City labor camp in Hebei. He returned home last month said to be suffering from internal injuries, bruising and deafness in both ears.

[...]The Chinese government banned Falun Gong in July, 1999 [...]. The ban was followed by a harsh crackdown which has seen many Falun Gong members sent to jail and labor camps. More than 200 have reportedly died in detention.