74-Year-Old Mr. Zhao Yancheng Dies After Repeated Persecution

Mr. Zhao Yancheng, 74, died as a result of persecution on March 21st, 2014. He had been repeatedly arrested and detained over the past 15 years. He also experienced harassment and ransacking of his home just because he persisted in practising Falun Gong.

Mr. Zhao was sentenced to three years in a forced labour camp in October 2000 because he explained the facts about Falun Gong to the local government. He was released seven days later because of poor health. He was constantly harassed after his release by officials from the local 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), police department and police station, and Zhao Weidong, the party secretary from the Qiaoguan Town Political and Legal Affairs Committee.

Mr. Zhao and his wife were both detained for two weeks in 2003 because he played a video about Falun Gong to people. His home was ransacked that day. He was later detained for two weeks again because he was seen doing the Falun Gong exercises with other practitioners.

Liu Jinghang, an instructor from the Qiaoguan Police Station, broke into Mr. Zhao's house and confiscated his Falun Gong books on March 3rd, 2005. He refused to show any identification. When Mr. Zhou asked for his books, Liu punched him and then left.

The director of the Qiaoguan Town Police Station and officials from the local county Domestic Security Division broke into Mr. Zhao's home on the morning of May 18th, 2009, and arrested him. He was later taken to the local detention centre, where he was subjected to various forms of abuse for nearly eight months.

Mr. Zhao was put on trial on September 22nd, 2009, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, guards from Jinan Prison refused to accept him because of his poor health.

Officials from Changle County took him to the local detention centre, where they held him for more than 10 days. He was released after they had extorted 5,500 yuan¹ in cash.

Officials from the Changle County 610 Office told officers from the local police department and police station to install a surveillance camera opposite Mr. Zhao's home, so that they could monitor him at the beginning of 2010.

Officer Liu Chunxiang and others from the Changle Domestic Security Division ransacked Mr. Zhao's home on the evening of April 19th, 2011.

Mr. Zhao was arrested again on May 14th, 2011 by officers from the local Domestic Security Division. He was taken to the Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Centre, and was tied to an iron chair and tortured.

Officers Wang Lisheng from the Changle Domestic Security Division and others from the Qiaoguan Police Station broke into Mr. Zhao's house on the morning of June 24th, 2012, without showing their identification. They confiscated a Falun Gong lecture book and a DVD exposing the persecution of Falun Gong.

During October 2012, he was taken to the Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Centre. He was forced to squat for a long period of time in a dark room, tied to an iron chair and subjected to brainwashing. He talked to Liu Chunxiang, the deputy head of the local Domestic Security Division about Falun Gong, but Liu hit Mr. Zhao in the mouth more than 10 times with a shoe.

On the morning of August 14th, 2013, officials from the Qiaogan Town in Changle County went to Mr. Zhao's home and forced him to sign a statement declaring that he would renounce the practice.

Mr. Zhao Yancheng was born in 1940, and is from Qiaoxi Village, Qiaoguan Town in Changle County. He began to practise Falun Gong in February 1997.

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:

Name: Zhao Yancheng (赵延成)
Gender: Male
Age: 74
Address: Qiaoxi Village, Qiaoguan Town, Changle County In Weifang City
Occupation : Farmer
Date of Death: March 21st, 2014
Date of Most Recent Arrest: July 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Centre (荊山水庫洗脑班)
City: Weifang
Province: Shandong
Persecution Suffered : Forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, imprisonment, torture, extortion, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation, detention.
Key Persecutors: Zhang Zhili, Li Shaojun, Chang Quanbin, Zhao Weidong, Liu Jinghang, Liu Chunxiang, Wang Lisheng and Zhao Shisheng

Parties responsible for the persecution:
Zhang Zhili (张志利), head of Changle County 610 Office: +86-13906360506 (Mobile)

Li Shaojun (李少军), deputy head of Changle County 610 Office: +86-13780829781 (Mobile)

Chang Quanbin (常全斌), director of the local domestic security division: +86-18678078839 (Mobile)

Liu Chunxiang (刘春祥),deputy director of the local domestic security division: +86-18678078875 (Mobile)

Zhao Shisheng ( 赵世胜), deputy director of the local domestic security division: +86-18678078912 (Mobile)

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.