Illegal Detention and Imprisonment

  • Jiansanjiang Court Officials in Heilongjiang Province Force Jiang Xinbo's Husband to Dismiss Lawyers

    Jiansanjiang Court officials in Heilongjiang Province scheduled a trial for Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Jiang Xinbo on December 1st, 2009. Her husband hired two lawyers from Beijing to enter a not-guilty plea. He wrote about the positive changes his wife experienced after practising Falun Gong and circulated it among his colleagues at school where his wife also worked before her arrest. More than 40 teachers signed the document to show their support and sympathy. Once they learned the husband had retained two lawyers, Chinese Communist agents were extremely worried that their persecution of Ms. Jiang would be exposed. The officials pressured Ms. Jiang's husband to sign his name to a pre-written agreement to dismiss the lawyers.
  • Guangzhou City 610 Office Agents Arrest Chen Chenglin and Ransack His Home

    A Guangzhou City 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) agents, went to Mr. Chen Chenglin's place on September 24th, 2009. They attempted to enter Mr. Chen's house claiming they needed to make a fire safety inspection. Suspecting harassment Mr. Chen immediately called people at the Street Administration Office. Once he had confirmed there were no fire safety inspections being done in the area, he refused to open the door. In the end, Street Administration Office head promised over the phone that only he would enter the house for the inspection, and the others would remain outside. As soon as Deng entered the home, however, the 610 Office agents rushed in. They seized Mr. Chen and took him to the police station.
  • Mr. Li Zongbo and Ms. Duan Youru from Yingde City, Guangdong Province, Were Sentenced

    On January 9th, 2009, two Falun Gong practitioners went to Pingfeng Elementary School to distribute leaflets exposing the persecution of Falun Gong to the students. On the way home, they were arrested by police, who were tipped off by school principal. Without following any legal procedures, the police ransacked the homes of these two practitioners and took a copier, tape recorder, Falun Gong books, and a motorcycle. They were held in Yingde City Detention Centre for several months and not allowed any family visits.
  • Five Practitioners from Hongshi Forestry Bureau in Huadian in Jilin Province Arrested

    Five practitioners spoke with people about Falun Gong on January 11th, 2010, in Doudaogou, Erdaodianzi. Someone reported them to the police and they were arrested. The police ransacked the homes of the five practitioners that same afternoon. They did not go through any legal procedures or present search warrants, and confiscated Falun Gong books, Falun Gong materials, three computers, a printer, some cash, bankbooks, and other items.
  • Ms. Zhang Liqin Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison, Brutally Abused and Tortured

    Ms. Zhang Liqin went to Shangzhuang Township in Qianan City on the evening of May 22nd, 2008, to distribute Falun Gong materials in three villages. Someone reported her to the police, and she was arrested and tortured for three days. Electric batons were used to shock her, leaving her with blisters all over her body. She was held at the Qianan City Detention Centre for eighteen months before being sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on December 3rd, 2009.
  • Summary Report: the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in Hu County, Xi'an City

    We first learned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in Hu County, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province at the beginning of August 2002 and began to investigate. Arrested practitioners were sent to a secret place in a ravine where they were beaten mercilessly and interrogated under torture. They were also hung up and whipped and they were kicked, slapped on their faces, and pounded on their necks with blunt instruments. Others were put in handcuffs and foot shackles, and forced to squat for a long time. Some were subjected to the "Tiger bench" torture method, others were deprived of sleep for several days and nights continuously, and some were not allowed to eat or drink, or to use the toilet.
  • Xichang City National Security Team Blocks Attorney from Meeting Ms. Cheng Donglan, Cites "State Secrets" as Excuse

    Ms. Cheng Donglan was arrested on October 2nd, 2009, for practising Falun Gong; subsequently, her family hired an attorney. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture Judicial Bureau staff and Xichang City National Security Team blocked the attorney from meeting Ms. Cheng Donglan, citing "state secrets" as an excuse. The attorney explained to the National Security Team deputy director, Tai Gangyi, that a classified case in criminal law referred to a case involving state secrets. Ms. Cheng Donglan's case was open, so it didn't involve state secrets. Tai Gangyi then diverted the request, saying that the attorney needed local Judicial Bureau approval.
  • Lanzhou City Chengguan District Court Upholds Verdict against Four Practitioners

    The Chengguan District Court in Lanzhou City upheld its verdict against four Falun Gong practitioners, and handed down the verdict only after the appeal deadline had passed. The practitioners were arrested in August 2008 The Chengguan District Court began trial on December 29th, 2008. On May 6th, 2009, the court sentenced Mr. Fang to nine years of imprisonment, Ms. Cui and Ms. Zhao to eight years, and Ms. Xue to three years with an additional parole term of five years. Now, Mr. Fang is imprisoned at the Lanzhou Prison. Ms. Cui and Ms. Zhou are imprisoned at the Gansu Province Women's Prison.
  • Couple from Daqing City Sentenced

    On January 9th, 2010, Datong District Court in Daqing City imposed a five-year prison sentence on Ms. Xia Xianfang and a four-year prison sentence on Mr. Zhang Shiping, her husband. Both are Falun Gong practitioners. On August 5th, 2009, Ms. Xia was reported to the authorities while she was talking to people about Falun Gong in the area near where they live. After being held in detention over the four-month legal limit, Datong District Court held a trial without notifying the couple's family. The court sentenced Mr. Zhang to four years in prison and Ms. Xia Xianfang to five years in prison. The case has been appealed to Daqing City Intermediate Court.
  • Ms. Tan Xiangyu and Her Granddaughter Arrested by Changsha City Police

    On January 4th, 2010, Ms. Tan Xiangyu, a 63-year-old Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested on Shaoshan South Street by officers from the Yuhuating Police Station of Changsha City. Police accused Ms. Tan of posting Falun Gong stickers. Ms. Tan's 11-year-old granddaughter was also arrested, detained, and interrogated for about one hour at the police station before being released and taken home by her mother. Qi Qi was frightened and trembling throughout this ordeal. Even after returning home, Qi Qi was still so frightened that she could not sleep until after midnight. The second day, she couldn't go to school, fearing that the police would go to her school and defame her in front of her teachers and fellow students.
  • Mr. Cui Xianzhi of Wucheng County, Shandong Province, Sent to Wangcun Forced Labour Camp

    On December 8th, 2009, more than a dozen police officers rushed to Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Cui Xianzhi's home in two vans. They arrested him and ransacked his home. After taking him to Wucheng County Detention Centre, they returned to his home to harass his family several times. Mr. Cui Xianzhi was later taken to Wangcun Forced Labour Camp in Shandong Province.
  • Mr. Yuan Yicheng and Daughter Yuan Xiaolan in Detention Indefinitely

    Practitioner Mr. Yuan Yicheng and his daughter Yuan Xiaolan from Guangdong Province were arrested by police in September 2009 and detained at the Jiedong Detention Centre. The father has been detained for over three months, and the police have refused to release either of them. When Yuan Xiaolan's husband asked the police to release his wife, they told him that she would be released if she identified all other practitioners involved in producing Falun Gong informational materials.
  • Jinchang District Court Rejected Mr. Lu Tong's Appeal

    Mr. Lu Tong was sentenced to four years in prison by Jinchang District Court in Suzhou City on December 17th, 2008. His daughter, Lu Yan, and his attorneys appealed for him. The court held a hearing on December 10th, 2009, but refused to reverse the sentence and made things difficult for the attorneys. On July 4th, 2008, the 50-year-old Mr. Lu was arrested by officers from the Caixiang Police Station and put in Wuxi City Prison after the court sentenced him. Prior to this, he was once held in Fangqiang Forced Labour Camp in Jiangsu Province and brutally tortured. His daughter, Lu Yan, was once jailed too, in trying to rescue him.
  • Three Practitioners in Jixi City Receive Heavy Sentences

    On November 10th, 2009, the Jiguan District Court tried Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Wang Xinchun, Ms. Zhong Li, and Mr. Liu Xuegang. The court adjourned at 4 p.m. Four lawyers defended the case. The prosecuting attorney had difficulty responding because of the complete testimony by the defence. The evidence provided by the prosecuting attorney was incomplete. Although the case involved illegal issues such as forged records by the police, inconsistent evidence, extorting a confession by torture, and improper incitement of the law, the court circumvented the law and sentenced Mr. Wang to nine years of imprisonment, and Mr. Liu and Ms. Zhong to eight years.
  • Ms. Wang Yuelan Arrested in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province

    On January 4th, 2010, when Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Yuelan was posting posters exposing the persecution of Falun Gong, she was arrested by security patrol officers. Huang Liang, head of the police station, took her to the police station. Ms. Wang has been persecuted many times. On July 4th, 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal. Police officers handcuffed and dragged her into the police van at Jiangxi Liaison Office in Beijing. There are still scars on her wrists from this incident. After bringing Ms. Wang from Beijing to Jiangxi, the police sent her to Jiujiang County Detention Centre. When Ms. Wang asked to have the confiscated Falun Gong books returned, she was force-fed a highly concentrated solution of salted water by Rao Hongyan, head of the detention centre.