Mr. Ma Zhixin Dies as Result of Persecution in Shandong Province

Mr. Ma Zhixin, 48, was employed as an assistant director by the Danshan Town Farming Machinery Plant in Anqiu City, Shandong Province. He began practising Falun Gong in 1998 and went to Beijing twice to appeal after the persecution started in 1999. He was detained several times, and authorities extorted 5,000 yuan¹ from him. The police also took two of his motorcycles and other personal possessions.

In 2001, Mr. Ma was forced to flee home. He was later arrested and sentenced to three years of forced labour. The labour camp refused to accept him due to his physical condition after being tortured by police. Anqiu City 610 Office² agents, including Zhang Zhenxiao, detained Mr. Ma in the Anqiu City Detention Centre. At beginning of June 2001, he was tortured until he had a stroke, and he could not move his limbs. The guards took him to the hospital, then released him when he became very ill. His wife, Ms. Zhang Zhenfang (also a practitioner), was serving a five-year term in prison for upholding her faith. Mr. Ma was cared for by his other family members. His family lived a hard life, and his condition worsened.

Ms. Zhang Zhenfang was released in 2005, but the police often harassed her and arrested again her many times. She could only try her best to take care of her husband. But Mr. Ma could not recover from so many hardships in his home, his condition worsened, and he became incoherent. He died on August 21st, 2008.

Related report: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200411/23076.html

Note

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

2. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/10/9/187367.html