(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 27 cities or counties in 14 provinces. According to this report, 12 Falun Gong practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention, and at least 49 were illegally arrested. Several practitioners seeking to mail letters of complaint regarding Jiang Zemin to the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme Court have met with obstacles.
1. [Xining City, Qinghai Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced and Imprisoned
2. [Chengde City, Hebei Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced
3. [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province] Eleven Practitioners Arrested
4. [Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province] Ms. Wu Jingting's Whereabouts Unknown
5. [Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Hao Yingwu and Mr. Ruan Arrested
6. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Zhou Shuxian's Whereabouts Unknown
7. [Guanghan City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Jin Shurong Arrested
8. [Lanzhou City, Gansu Province] Mr. Sun Yifei Arrested
9. [Rizhao City, Shandong Province] Ms. Sun Zhifang Detained for Suing Jiang Zemin
10. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Yaru Arrested
11. [Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province] Three Practitioners Detained
12. [Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province] Ms. Yang Hong Arrested
13. [Shulan City, Jilin Province] Mr. Yang Guoshu Detained
14. [Mianzhu City, Sichuan Province] Three Practitioners Arrested
15. [Xuanhua County, Hebei Province] Ms. Zhang Haizhen Arrested
16. [Xian City, Shaanxi Province] Ms. Zhao Shuxian and Mr. Gu Detained
17. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Zhang Xia and Mr. Sun Jun Detained
18. [Wuhan, Hubei Province] Ms. Wan Dajiu Tried
19. [Chengdu, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhang Lixue and Ms. Gan Xuemei Still Detained
20. [Tianjin] Mr. Xiong Huifeng Transferred to Prison
21. [Tonghua, Jilin Province] Two Practitioners Tried
22. [Gulin, Sichuan Province] Mr. Liao Ting Tried
23. [Yichang, Hubei Province] Four Practitioners Arrested
24. [Tangshan, Hebei Province] Seven Practitioners Still Detained
25. [Chenzhou, Hunan Province] Ms. Wen Ling Tried
26. [Qingdao, Shandong Province] Ms. Wei Chunrong Tried
27. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Ms. Wang Suoxian and Ms. Wang Qiaolan Arrested
28. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Tian Jinxin Transferred to Pingluo Prison
29. [Hengshui City, Hebei Province] Mr. Xie Xingguo Tried
1. [Xining City, Qinghai Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced and Imprisoned
Ms. Zhao Zonghua, Mr. Liu Qilong, and Mr. Wei Jinlu were each sentenced to a three-year prison term in the Chengbei District Court and the Chengxi District Court in September 2014. Ms. Zhao is ow in the Qinghai Women's Prison. Mr. Liu and Mr. Wei are in Haomen Prison.
2. [Chengde City, Hebei Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced
Mr. Zhao Yonglin, Ms. Li Shujuan, and Ms. Ge Sumei were arrested by officers from the Chengde County Police Department on August 26, 2015, for distributing informational materials about the persecution of Falun Gong. The police ransacked their homes and detained them in the Chengde City Detention Center.
They were sentenced in the Chengde County Court on February 3, 2016. Mr. Zhao was given a four-year prison term, Ms. Ge six years, and Ms. Li three years with four years of probation.
3. [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province] Eleven Practitioners Arrested
Eleven practitioners were arrested by the Huicheng District Police Department on April 23, 2016, for reading Falun Gong books. They are Ms. Xiao Guanmei, Ms. Yan Ping, Mr. Peng and his wife, Mr. Dai Songhua and his wife, Ms. Lin Huayun, Mr. Fan Zhijun, Ms. Kuang Dongying, Ms. Li Hua, and Mr. Wang Zaishu. Ms. Xiao, Mr. Peng, and Ms. Yan are detained in the Gutangau Detention Center in Huizhou City. All the others were released that evening.
Parties involved in persecuting the 11 practitioners:Huizhou City Police Department: +86-752-2829930, +86-752-7282110Huidong County 610 Office: +86-752-8822571Huicheng Police Department: +86-752-2249311
4. [Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province] Ms. Wu Jingting's Whereabouts Unknown
Ms. Wu Jingting was arrested by officers from Tianhe District around April 18, 2016. Her whereabouts are unknown.
5. [Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Hao Yingwu and Mr. Ruan Arrested
Ms. Hao Yingwu and Mr. Ruan were arrested on April 21, 2016.
6. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Zhou Shuxian's Whereabouts Unknown
Mr. Zhou Shuxian was arrested by officers from the Dawan Police Station on April 13, 2016, for talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong. The police ransacked her home. Her whereabouts are unknown.
7. [Guanghan City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Jin Shurong Arrested
Ms. Jin Shurong was arrested by officers from the Qingbaijiang Police Station on April 22, 2016, for talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong. The police ransacked her home.
8. [Lanzhou City, Gansu Province] Mr. Sun Yifei Arrested
Mr. Sun Yifei from Laizhou, Shandong Province, was recently arrested in Ningxia by police from Lanzhou.
9. [Rizhao City, Shandong Province] Ms. Sun Zhifang Detained for Suing Jiang Zemin
Ms. Sun Zhifang was arrested on April 21, 2016, for suing Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese dictator. The police ransacked her home. She is detained in the Rizhao City Detention Center.
10. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Yaru Arrested
Ms. Liu Yaru was arrested on April 15, 2016. Her home was ransacked and the police confiscated a picture of the founder of Falun Gong, Falun Gong books, and computers.
11. [Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province] Three Practitioners Detained
Mr. Zhang Jian, Mr. Wang Binde, and Mr. Fang Zhanfeng are being held in Jinzhong Prison. They demand that they be allowed to practice Falun Gong and refuse to be subjected to forced labor. They say that the Chinese Constitution guarantees their freedom of belief. They have now been placed in the “Close Supervision Team.” They only get two small pieces of steamed cornbread, a piece of bread, a few vegetables, and water a day.
12. [Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province] Ms. Yang Hong Arrested
Ms. Yang Hong was arrested on April 14, 2016.
Party involved in persecuting Ms. Yang:Officer in charge: +86-13502862280
13. [Shulan City, Jilin Province] Mr. Yang Guoshu Detained
Mr. Yang Guoshu, sentenced in late 2015, is detained in the Xinsheng Prison, Gongzhuling. His family is not allowed to visit him because he refuses to be “transformed.”
14. [Mianzhu City, Sichuan Province] Three Practitioners Arrested
Ms. Xu Anhui, 75; Ms. Meng Yuanlin, 77; and Ms. Zhao Huicheng were arrested by officers from the Mianyuan Town Police Station and the Heqing Town Police Station on April 21, 2016, for distributing informational materials about the persecution of Falun Gong. They were released that day.
15. [Xuanhua County, Hebei Province] Ms. Zhang Haizhen Arrested
Ms. Zhang Haizhen was arrested by officers from the Dacanggai Town Police Station on April 23, 2016, for talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong.
Party involved in persecuting Ms. Zhang:Dacanggai Town Police Station: +86-313-6061015
16. [Xian City, Shaanxi Province] Ms. Zhao Shuxian and Mr. Gu Detained
Ms. Zhao Shuxian, in her 50s, and Mr. Gu, in his 60s, were arrested by officers from the Hongmiaopo Police Station on April 22, 2016, for talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong. They are detained in the Weiyang District Detention Center.
Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Zhao and Mr. Gu:Hongmiaopo Police Station, Xian City: +86-2986261788, +86-2986250214Weiyang District Detention Center, Xian City: +86-2986776889
17. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Zhang Xia and Mr. Sun Jun Detained
Ms. Zhang Xia was arrested by officers from the Zhongshan District Domestic Security Division on March 14, 2016, for suing Jiang Zemin. The police ransacked her home and confiscated computers, printers, Falun Gong books, and personal items.
When her husband, Mr. Sun Jun, went to the Minzhuguangchang Police Station on March 17, to get information about his wife, he was arrested. The couple is detained in the Dalian Detention Center.
18. [Wuhan, Hubei Province] Ms. Wan Dajiu Tried
Ms. Wan Dajiu was tried on April 6 for practicing Falun Gong and producing and spreading Falun Gong information.
Her lawyer rebutted the charges. He said that there has never been any law that criminalizes Falun Gong. Hence, his client should never have been prosecuted for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief and freedom of the press.
The prosecutor used items seized from Ms. Wan's home as evidence against her, but the judge declined to play the DVDs about the persecution of Falun Gong. He adjourned the hearing without delivering a verdict.
Ms. Wan was detained in March 2015 and has not been released.
19. [Chengdu, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhang Lixue and Ms. Gan Xuemei Still Detained
Ms. Zhang Lixue from Chengdu City and Ms. Gan Xuemei from Dujiangyan City were arrested for distributing informational materials about the persecution of Falun Gong on March 3, 2016. Both were given 10 days of administrative detention. Because they refused to give up their faith, they were put in criminal detention.
The police are processing charges against both women.
20. [Tianjin] Mr. Xiong Huifeng Transferred to Prison
Tianjin First Intermediate Court recently decided to uphold the prison sentence of a retired space scientist, Mr. Xiong Huifeng. He was given a seven-and-a-half years term for refusing to renounce his faith in Falun Gong. The higher court issued the decision without holding a hearing.
The 78-year-old scientist was transferred to Binhai Prison on April 11.
21. [Tonghua, Jilin Province] Two Practitioners Tried
Two local women were tried without legal representation on April 16 for refusing to renounce their faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Zhang Suhua, 75, and Ms. Zhu Yaxian, in her 60s, were arrested on September 2 2015. The local court used all kinds of excuses to keep their lawyers from representing them. The presiding judge told the lawyers, "Even if I accept your request today, I won't inform you of the trial date!"
Both women are held in the Tonghua City Detention Center.
22. [Gulin, Sichuan Province] Mr. Liao Ting Tried
Mr. Liao Ting, age 27, was tried on April 19 for refusing to give up his faith in Falun Gong.
Mr. Liao was arrested on December 15, 2015, when he was delivering clothes to his older brother, also a Falun Gong practitioner who was targeted for his faith.
The younger Mr. Liao is detained in the Gulin County Detention Center and has been denied family visits since his arrest.
23. [Yichang, Hubei Province] Four Practitioners Arrested
Mr. Zhang Yongsheng, Ms. Zhang Yonghong, Mr. Yang Weijun, and Ms. Xu Qiaoling were arrested and had their homes ransacked for practicing Falun Gong.
The police arrested Mr. Zhang Yongsheng, 50; his older sister Ms. Zhang Yonghong; and Mr. Yang Weijun, 40, on April 19, 2016. Ms. Xu Qiaoling was arrested on April 22. The police confiscated the practitioners’ bank deposit books, Falun Gong books, and a large amount of cash.
Mr. Zhang's car was impounded and 100,000 yuan was confiscated. The police took 60,000 yuan from Mr. Yang.
Mr. Zhang, Ms. Zhang, and Mr. Yang remain in the Yichang City First Detention Center. Prior to their arrests, three other practitioners--Zhao Jucai, Chen Facui, and Gan Hongping--were also taken into custody.
This latest arrest was not the first time the Zhang siblings have been persecuted for their faith. Ms. Zhang spent more than 10 years in detention and her brother was taken to brainwashing centers four times.
24. [Tangshan, Hebei Province] Seven Practitioners Still Detained
From March 31 to April 5, the local police targeted 36 residents for their faith in Falun Gong. Many practitioners had their homes ransacked and were briefly detained. A few were arrested for talking to people about Falun Gong.
To date, Han Changgen, Mu Shuqin, Liu Yang, Lai Zhiqiang, Sun Xiaoying, Li Xiaoxian, and Huang Baotian remain incarcerated in the Tangshan First Detention Center.
25. [Chenzhou, Hunan Province] Ms. Wen Ling Tried
The Beihu District Court held a second hearing for Ms. Wen Ling on April 21, 2016. She was charged with “undermining law enforcement.”
Ms. Wen and her lawyer rebutted the charge, saying there has never been any law that criminalizes Falun Gong, so she should never have been prosecuted for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief.
The judge adjourned the proceedings without issuing a verdict.
This hearing came less than a month after the first hearing, which was adjourned when Ms. Wen suddenly experienced chest pain and had to be taken for emergency treatment.
Ms. Wen has been detained since her arrest on July 6, 2015.
26. [Qingdao, Shandong Province] Ms. Wei Chunrong Tried
Ms. Wei Chunrong, 64, from Huanan County, Heilongjiang Province, was tried on April 22, 2016. She was arrested on October 25, 2015, for distributing Falun Gong informational materials in Qingdao, where she was visiting relatives.
She testified how practicing Falun Gong bettered her life. Before she began practicing, she struggled to raise three children and endured various health problems. Several times she contemplated suicide.
In November 2004, she decided to give Falun Gong a try. Within less than a month, her insomnia, heart problem, and other ailments were gone.
Her neighbors were shocked to see her repairing a ditch in front of her house as they all knew how sick and weak she was in the past.
Having benefited so much from Falun Gong, Ms. Wei began telling people the persecution is wrong.
The judge adjourned the proceedings without issuing a verdict.
27. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Ms. Wang Suoxian and Ms. Wang Qiaolan Arrested
Ms. Wang Suoxian, 65, and Ms. Wang Qiaolan, in her 70s, from the Dongxihu District were arrested on March 22, 2016, by officers from the the Wujiashanjie Police Station for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong.
The women were forced to have their blood drawn in the police station. Because Ms. Suoxian refused to answer when they interrogated her, the police hit her.
Ms. Suoxian was transferred to the Wuhan No. 1 Detention Center. Since April 1, her whereabouts are unknown.
Officers ransacked Ms. Qiaolan’s home on March 24. She was later released.
28. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Tian Jinxin Transferred to Pingluo Prison
Mr. Tian Jinxin was sentenced to four years in prison in 2015. He was transferred to Pingluo Prison on March 23, 2016, but his family was not notified.
His family tried to visit him on April 6 and 7. However, family visits were not allowed because he was under strict surveillance.
29. [Hengshui City, Hebei Province] Mr. Xie Xingguo Tried
Mr. Xie Xingguo from Tangpo Village, Qinglan Township, was tried in the Jing County Court on the morning of April 14, 2016. About 100 officers gathered at the court entrance. Only three seats were issued to Mr. Xie’s family and friends.
The judge interrupted Mr. Xie’s lawyer’s defense statement several times and then ended the trial, saying the sentence would be announced another day.
