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Save Li Yan: denied protection from abuse – now facing execution

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A woman who killed her violent husband after months of abuse faces imminent execution after exhausting all appeals. Li Yan, aged 41 - whose repeated calls to the police for protection were ignored – could be put to death at any time.

Text SAVE LI and your full name to 70505 to support our call for clemency. Over 14s only*

Months of abuse

Li Yan’s ordeal began soon after she married in early 2009. Her husband, Tan Yong, beat her frequently. He stubbed out cigarettes on her face. He locked her, near-naked, on the balcony of their apartment for hours at a time during the freezing Sichuan winter.  

On one occasion, he cut off her finger.

In late 2010, isolated, afraid and denied protection by the authorities, Li Yan resorted to violence and beat her husband to death with a gun.

We do not condone Li Yan’s actions, but we do believe that this tragic outcome could have been avoided. At one point, Li Yan was hospitalised as a result of the abuse. She sought protection from the police several times, and on one occasion they even photographed her injuries.  

Yet none of the authorities with a duty to protect her followed up on her complaints, launched an investigation into her husband’s crimes or offered her any support.  

Unsurprisingly the violence continued.

Text SAVE LI and your full name to 70505 to support our call for clemency. Over 14s only*

Appeals exhausted

Li Yan was sentenced to death by the Ziyang City Intermediate People’s Court for intentional homicide on 24 August 2011. The verdict was upheld by the Sichuan Provincial Higher People’s Court on 20 August 2012. And her last appeal to the Supreme Court in Beijing was dismissed this month.

We are against the death penalty in any circumstances, for any crime. We believe that after everything Li Yan went through, to which witnesses have testified on her behalf, the Chinese authorities must change her sentence to one of life imprisonment. 

Li Yan’s story also highlights the lack of support for victims of domestic violence in China, and the lack of legal avenues for requesting clemency – in contravention of international human rights law.

What will we do with your text?

We will add your name, but not your phone number, to a fax to the Chinese authorities:

  • Urging them not to implement Li Yan’s death sentence;
  • Calling on them to ensure that Li Yan has access to her family;
  • Urging the National People’s Congress to introduce a legal procedure for requesting clemency in line with China’s obligations under international human rights law;
  • Urging the Chinese authorities to take all allegations of domestic violence seriously, conduct effective investigations and, where there is sufficient admissible evidence, prosecute suspects in fair trials.

Prefer not to text?

We also encourage you to write your own letter urging clemency for Li Yan. The urgent action casesheet provides all the information you need, including the postal, email addresses and fax numbers of the relevant Chinese authorities. Download the urgent action casesheet (Word)

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Our blogs are written by Amnesty International staff, volunteers and other interested individuals, to encourage debate around human rights issues. They do not necessarily represent the views of Amnesty International.
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6 comments

i assume one should put "0044" before 70505 when sending it outside the UK, or??

staphany.europe 11 years ago

Sorry Staphany, the text action is only available to UK users, but you can write to the authorities, the details are in the case sheet. Your local Amnesty section may have an SMS network as well!

EmersonStaff 11 years ago

You write "We do not condone" and "the Chinese authorities must change her sentence to one of life imprisonment". It's ok for you to tell the Chinese you do not condone if you are trying to argue for a different sentence, I follow that, but I believe a lot of people would say this was justifiable self defence. On that basis I do not think a life sentence would be fair either, and in some jails this would be as bad as execution anyway. Obviously the police did not take the complaint of a woman as important, so should you not be fighting for women's rights, that is basic human rights, in China the same as has surfaced in India?
Best regards.

pamela f 11 years ago

WE AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS LIBERTY, SINCERELY APPEAL TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO TEMPER JUSTICE WITH MERCY OF LI YAN WHO BY THE FREQUENT INTIMIDATION,THREAT,DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHE SUFFERS FROM HER LATE HUSBAND LEAD TO THE COURSE OF HER HUSBAND DEATH,FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELF DEFENSE SHOULD BE PARDON AND CHANGE THE DEATH SENTENCE TO 5YEARS OR 7YEARS IMPRISONMENT,WE BELIEVE THAT LI YAN DID NOT KILL HER HUSBAND INTENTIONALLY,WE UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE HAS MADE SERIES OF COMPLAINT TO THE POLICE AUTHORITY WITHOUT ANY INTERVENTION,WE BELIEVE SHE ACTED FOR HER SELF DEFENSE AND THE FRUSTRATION SHE WAS PASSING THROUGH WITH HER HUSBAND BRUTALITY ON HER.PLEASE,PLEASE SPEAR HER LIFE.

civilrightsliberty 11 years ago

Please hear the vioce of Tan Yong's family: http://www.my0832.com/bbs/topic-257951-1.html#ID2694512; The desperate family posted a message on local forum to ask for help and justice. They claim that Tan was the true victim instead of Li. I don't know who is lying, but please hear more vioces instead of following that the media tell us.

Yu 11 years ago

Li not only killed Tan, but also cut him into pieces and boiled him. When her neighbours asked about this, she said she was make "bacons". She opened her local shop as usual after the crime. Tan's family and the whole town was shocked about what happened.

Yu 11 years ago