China withdraws reprimand of virus whistleblower

Beijing calls for disciplining police over 'improper' punishment of Li Wenliang

20200319N Li Wenliang

The death of Li Wenliang in February sparked an outpouring of grief and outrage in China. © Reuters

TSUKASA HADANO, Nikkei staff writer

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities on Thursday retracted the reprimand issued to a Wuhan doctor who tried to sound the alarm about the novel coronavirus early in the outbreak and came to be widely seen as a martyr after his death from the disease.

The National Supervisory Commission concluded after an investigation that the admonition of Li Wenliang was "improper" and did not follow appropriate law-enforcement procedures. It called for punishing the Wuhan police, who issued the reprimand.

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