Chinese Journalist Beaten While Investigating Teachers’ Deaths
The identities of the three suspected attackers have not been confirmed, as local police continue to investigate the incident.
A Chinese journalist was reportedly assaulted while investigating the deaths of two teachers in the southwestern Guizhou province.
According to local media reports, Li Xiancheng, a journalist at Chinese media outlet Jimu News, was beaten by three attackers on Tuesday while investigating the drowning deaths of two teachers in April. Li was reportedly forced to stop by a van on his way to the scene of the incident in Zhijin County, in the city of Bijie.
The 28-year-old journalist suffered cuts to the face and arms, and a bruised eye, according to a hospital report shared with local media. Li was beaten for more than a minute and had his glasses and smartphone broken, local media reported, citing a WeChat post by Li’s manager at Jimu News.
On Wednesday morning, Li told local media Caixin that three suspects are being investigated by police. When approached by Sixth Tone, local police did not confirm that any arrests have been made, saying that the case is still under investigation.
On April 13, two teachers from Zhijin County — 38-year-old man Li Dijun and 26-year-old woman Xu Qian — died after a nearby hydropower station reportedly released a surge of water into the river where they and four other teachers were at the time.
According to local reports, family members of the deceased teachers say that they were sent to the river by school leaders to collect pebbles and pine cones to decorate their campuses, but county officials deny this.
Journalists’ rights to interview are protected by law, a representative of Jimu News said to local media, while calling for the attackers to be brought to justice.
Jimu News is one of China’s leading digital media outlets operated by state-backed Hubei Daily Media Group.
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