Police Extort Funds from Practitioners' Families

The Shenzhou police recently arrested two female practitioners, and extorted funds from the practitioners' families, threatening that the women would be sentenced if money didn't change hands.

Ms. Xue Xuewen, 69, and Ms. Meng Lingshang, 59, from Shenzhou City were reported to the police when they were talking to people about Falun Gong at a farmers' market in Dafengying Village on the morning of August 1st, 2014. Yang Qingyu and two other officers from the Dafengying Police Station arrested them.

Ji Yuan, chief of the Dafengying Police Station, reported their cases to Zhang Dewen, chief of the Domestic Security Division at the Shenzhou Police Department. The two women were taken to the Hengshui Detention Centre that afternoon.

Ms. Xie and Ms. Meng's children were very worried when they heard what had happened. They went to the Domestic Security Division and the Dafengying Police Station to ask that their mothers be released.

Ji Yuan and Zhange Dewen said that the practitioners would be released only if the families paid them; otherwise, they would be sentenced.

Officers from the Dafengying Police Station and the Donganzhuang Police Station ransacked the homes of Ms. Xie and Ms. Meng on August 5th, 2014. After several rounds of negotiation, Ms. Xie's family paid about 10,000 yuan¹ to have her released. She was let go on August 8th.

Although Ms. Meng's family reportedly paid several thousand yuan, the police said it wasn't enough, so they didn't release her. Ms. Meng is still being held at the Hengshui Detention Centre.

Parties involved in the persecution of Ms. Xie and Ms. Meng:
Zhang Dewen (张德文), chief of the domestic security division: +86-13383682958 (Mobile)
Zhang Yuanxiang (张元相), deputy chief: +86-13383682806 (Mobile)
Ji Yuan (季元), chief of the Dafengying Police Station: +86-15031852886 (Mobile)
Yang Qingyu (杨庆余), policeman on duty: +86-13623186633(Mobile)

Note

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