AP: Falun Gong Sues Chinese Official In U.S. for Alleged Torture, Deaths

NEW YORK -- A senior Chinese law enforcement official has been sued in U.S. federal court for allegedly directing the torture and deaths of practitioners of Falun Gong, lawyers for the banned spiritual group said.

Zhao Zhifei, head of the public security bureau for the Hubei province in China, was served the civil complaint on Tuesday at a New York hotel, said Carey R. D'Avino, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit, which seeks $50 million in damages, accuses Mr. Zhao of crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and falsely imprisoning members of the spiritual movement. It was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on behalf of Peng Liang, whose brother and mother were allegedly killed by Mr. Zhao's officers.

"Today in New York, we remind Chinese officials that United States can and will hold them responsible for violating international law," Mr. D'Avino told about 80 members of Falun Gong protesting outside the hotel where Mr. Zhao is reportedly staying.

Mr. D'Avino said Wednesday he did not know why Mr. Zhao is in the U.S., but added he is not in the country on official government business.

A telephone message left by The Associated Press at the Chinese Consulate in New York was not immediately returned.

Under U.S. law, foreigners accused of crimes against humanity or violations of international law can be sued in federal court, Mr. D'Avino said. The accused individual, however, must be served a civil complaint in the U.S., he said.

The complaint was handed to Mr. Zhao on Tuesday night in the lobby of the Manhattan Plaza Hotel, Mr. D'Avino said.

Mr. Zhao has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit, Mr. D'Avino said. If he fails to do so, a default judgment could be made against him.

According to the lawsuit, Mr. Zhao is second-in-command of a special task force set up by the Chinese government to crack down on Falun Gong in Hubei. Officers under his command are accused of burning, torturing and killing practitioners.

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Thousands of followers have been sent to labor camps, []

Outside the hotel in New York, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners slowly exercised to ethereal music while others held signs reading, "SOS: Urgent Rescue, Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted in China" and "50,000 Plus Arrested and Persecuted."

"This is about standing up for someone who can't stand up for themselves," said Terri Marsh, a Falun Gong practitioner and the lead attorney on the case.