A/HRC/13/40/Add.1 The judicial authorities of the Tibet Autonomous Region and other localities intend to continue their efforts to deal in accordance with the law with the criminal suspects who participated in these violent criminal acts. • Related cases: Owing to time constraints and the incomplete nature of the information contained in the aforementioned letters, as well as the fact that the investigations being conducted by the Chinese authorities concerned are still in progress, the Government will continue to transmit to the relevant bodies information regarding the outcome of these investigations. (c) Observations by the Special Rapporteur 18. The Special Rapporteur is grateful that the Government of China replied to the joint urgent appeals of 20 March 2008 and 9 April 2008. 2. (a) Communication sent on 13 March 2009 jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Allegations transmitted to the Government 19. The Special Rapporteurs brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding the cases of 16 deaths of Falun Gong practitioners due to injuries allegedly sustained in custody in China. While the circumstances under which the deaths occurred differ, all the victims were Falun Gong practitioners and they all died under the supervision of law enforcement officers or soon after their release from custody. Concern is expressed that the arrests and deaths of these individuals were solely connected with their activities as Falun Gong practitioners. 20. Ms. Hu Yanrong, from Xiaoyushulin Village, Beilu Township, Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province: On 1 August 2007 around 10 p.m., police officers blocked the entrance of the home of a Falun Gong practitioner, where some 40 persons including Hu Yanrong were present. About midnight, a dozen police officers arrested those practitioners trapped in the house. They beat the practitioners with electric batons and two-inch long metal rods and forced them into police vehicles. The police claimed that Hu Yanrong tried to jump out of a police car. She sustained severe injuries and fell into a coma after being taken to the Lingyuan Prison Hospital. Her head was swollen, her eyes, nose and mouth were bruised, the area between her temples and eyes was coloured in dark purple. There were traces of blood on her face. Doctors at Lingyuan Prison hospital performed two brain surgeries, but Ms. Hu died at 2 a.m. on 5 August 2007. 21. Mr. Huang Fajun, resident of Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: On 24 July 2007, policemen from the Sougfengshan Town Police Station arrested Mr. Huang and beat him until both of his feet broke. The police detained him in the Acheng District First Detention Centre. He went on a hunger strike to protest the detention and was force-fed. He developed open sores, and his hands and feet were swollen and showed deep scars caused by shackles and cuffs. On 2 November 2007, the police notified his family that he was dying and that they could visit him at the Archeng District Traditional Medicine Hospital. He was allowed to return home on 4 November 2007, where he died at around 8 p.m. on 6 November 2007. 22. Mr. Xiong Zhengming: On 15 March 2007, police officers took Xiong Zhengming to the Wanyuan City First Detention Center, indicating that they had detected that Mr. Xiong visited overseas websites. Following eight months of detention, the police sentenced Mr. Xiong to one year of forced labour. Later, he was transferred to the Wanyuan City Second Detention Center. On 3 December 2007, he was informed of a second transfer to a 11