China Receives Attention After Increased Persecution of Charles Lee in Nanjing Prison

Falun Gong practitioner and U.S. citizen Charles Lee has been imprisoned for 16 months in China by Jiang's followers. During this period, he has been subjected to various tortures, including physical torment, brainwashing and force-feeding. U.S. government officials have expressed great concern over Mr. Lee's situation and they have protested many times to the Nanjing Prison where he is being detained.

VOA reported on May 26 that State Department spokesman Mr. Richard Boucher stated that U.S. diplomats met with Charles Lee last week and also spoke with him on the phone on Monday, May 24. Mr. Boucher said the U.S. State Department will continue to monitor Charles Lee's situation. Lee was sentenced to 3 years in prison on charges of attempting to override the Chinese radio/TV system to broadcast documentary programs about Falun Gong. Mr. Boucher mentioned that Mr. Lee went on a one-day hunger strike on May 18 to protest the poor working conditions in the workshop where he was forced to make shoes.

RFA and AFP also reported on the U.S. State Department's concern over Charles Lee.

Epoch Times reported that U.S. State Department spokesman Mr. Stuart Patt said that U.S. embassy officials went to Nanjing to visit Charles Lee on April 22 and he looked very tired. Charles told U.S. officials that he was not in a very good situation, as prison authorities were demanding that he admit to crimes for which he is innocent.

At present, Falun Gong practitioners all over the world are holding various activities protesting the Chinese government's arrest of Charles Lee and calling for his unconditional release.