Commission concludes that Chinese police erred in warning doctor who warned of epidemic

An official Chinese investigative commission on Thursday censored police in Wuhan, the city where the new coronavirus emerged, for warning a doctor who had warned of the outbreak of the epidemic and whose death caused the population to revolt.
Doctor Li Wenliang is considered a national hero because he warned his colleagues at the beginning of the epidemic, while authorities tried to hide the reality in some way.
The death of the 34-year-old ophthalmologist sparked a wave of popular outrage in early February, prompting authorities to order an investigation.
For making the alert, Dr. Li Wenliang was summoned by the police, who warned him of rumors on the internet.
In early January, Li was forced to sign a self-criticism in which he promised not to commit any more “unlawful acts”.
The police acted “inappropriately”, said the Disciplinary Control Commission, which calls for the “revocation” of the warning and for authorities to “establish the responsibilities” of the people involved in the case.
In January, the Supreme Court had already rehabilitated Dr. Li and others who signed an alert article published in the press.
The first cases of a new coronavirus were recorded in the city of Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, in early December, but residents were forced to wear masks in mid-January, just before the location was quarantined.