Police harass, threaten Li Heping’s wife for article published by Boxun

Civil rights lawyer Li Heping is missing. His wife is looking for him. Boxun published some of her experiences. The Beijing Public Security Bureau called to talk to her about this. After she refused, on Thursday August 6, 2015 a surprising event ensued.

Li Heping’s wife wrote the following:

When the police came and knocked on our door today, they said they had legal paperwork. I had no reason to doubt their word. There’s no space under my door, so they couldn’t slip the paperwork through. I suggested that they go to the balcony and I could lift it up, sign it, and then go with them.

But the man at the door refused. We were at an impasse for two hours. I said it’s simple: let me see what you need me to sign and then I’ll open the door.

Without choice, I have been calling the 110 police emergency number until 2 p.m. In the morning they said it was an administrative subpoena. In the afternoon they changed that and said it was a criminal subpoena. The police officer opened my door lock and entered my house. I finally saw their criminal subpoena notice. It was issued by the Tianjin Public Security Bureau Hexi branch office. Showing the papers was a Tianjin Public Security Bureau police officer. Afterward a female officer from the district showed me her papers. But the leading cop wouldn’t show his papers, he just said he was from the Beijing Public Security Bureau, assisting the Tianjin police with their work.

After arriving at the Boxing Road police station, we entered the interrogation room. The interrogation started at 2:30 p.m. They asked about Boxun’s article on my search for Li Heping. They asked if I wrote it, I refused to answer. They asked if I wrote a complaint to Xinhua Net, I told them I’d empowered an attorney to write it, and thanked them for paying such close attention to a civil case. He said they didn’t pay attention to civil complaints. But because Boxun reprinted it, the policeman said Boxun is considered a hostile force website. Regrettably I don’t know anything about Boxun.

In short, the final focus is if my article is again reprinted by Boxun, they will subpoena me again. They also asked me to tell my lawyer that if Boxun reprints it, I have to be careful it’s not misused by someone with an ulterior motive.

Finally, I insisted the policeman show me his documents. He said the Tianjin Public Security Bureau had already produced their documents, he won’t show me his. I said, when you interrogated me you didn’t say you were from the Tianjin police. If I had experience, I would only talk with police who produced documents. Since you didn’t produce documents, I refuse to sign the record of the interview. Until the end he still didn’t show me his documents.

At 7:08 p.m., they again asked me to sign the subpoena. I asked the Tianjin Public Security Bureau officer, if I signed it could I leave? She said yes. So I signed it, but didn’t dare to leave immediately, and sat in the police station for more than half an hour before leaving. Truthfully, I trusted the police office who produced her papers. But the one who wouldn’t produce his papers I didn’t trust and wanted to get away from him.