Detained China dissident Cao Shunli near death-close friend

A young girl stands between protesters from a human rights group during a rally against what the U.N. believes is the recent repatriation of nine North Korean defectors from Laos, in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul June 5, 2013. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

BEIJING (Reuters) - Prominent Chinese human rights activist Cao Shunli, detained in September for staging sit-ins at the Foreign Ministry, has organ failure and only a few days to live after being denied medical treatment in detention, said a close friend on Saturday.

Cao's death would generate an outcry from China's fledgling rights community and criticism from the West, which has expressed concern about her case.