650,000 Yuan in Cash Taken after Mrs. Zhang Yueqin and Four Members of her Family Detained in Lubei Police Department in Tangshan City

The Chinese Communist Party's Judiciary system in Tangshan City, Hebei Province, has intensified efforts to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Five members of Mrs. Zhang Yueqin's family were detained without due process. They included Mrs. Zhang Yueqin; her husband, Mr. He Yixing; her younger daughter, Mrs. He Yan; and Mrs. He's husband, Mr. Sun Fengli.

On July 10th, 2008, police officer Chen Hong from the Lubei Police Department and other officers broke into Mrs. Zhang's home. They damaged the lock but still couldn't open the door. They then mobilized two fire engines and used an auto-lift ladder to climb to the sixth floor and break in through two windows. They entered through those windows and arrested Mrs. Zhang and her husband. The police searched the house without showing a warrant and confiscated valuables. They also stole over 650,000 yuan¹ (USD$95,000) that Mrs. Zhang's eldest daughter had borrowed to invest in a business with partners.

The couple's eldest daughter, Ms. He Dan, tried to find out where her family members had been taken and approached the Lubei District Police Substation to get her money back. When she arrived at the station, they arrested her on charges of "spreading the teachings of Falun Gong" and took her to the Tangshan City Detention Centre. She was held there for 15 days.

The couple's youngest daughter, Mrs. He Yan, was detained in Kaiping Forced Labour Camp in Tangshan City. Because of the mistreatment and poor conditions in the labour camp, Mrs. He developed heart disease and was in critical condition. She had a pacemaker installed. When her family requested her release due to her poor health, the labour camp authorities refused. They also refused to let lawyers represent her or even visit her.

Mr. Sun Fengli, Mrs. He Yan's husband, was arrested at the same as Mrs. He. His case was submitted to the district court. The police only allowed an lawyer to visit him once, and even that meeting was interrupted halfway. He was recently informed that he would have a hearing on December 10th.

It has been almost five months since Mrs. Zhang and Mr. He were arrested. In July, Mrs. Zhang was subjected to the torture method known as the Death Bed² at the No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City. This method of torture bears resemblance to the ancient punishment of being "drawn and quartered." Two single beds are placed side by side and the victim's arms and legs are tied to the four opposite bed poles. The beds are then pulled apart and bricks placed between the beds, stretching the victim in opposite directions and often breaking bones and tearing muscles. It was learned that Mrs. Zhang and Mr. He's appeals were repeatedly dismissed and sent back to the Lubei Police Department, with the Lubei District Procuratorate in Tangshan citing "insufficient evidence." The judiciary system in Tangshan City even tried to frame Mrs. Zhang's family and extort 650,000 yuan from them. As a result, the authorities at the police department, the detention centre, and Lubei Procuratorate deceived each other and refused to allow the lawyers to see Mrs. Zhang Yueqin or Mr. He Yixing.

The judiciary system in Lubei District, Tangshan City, has intensified its efforts to frame and persecute practitioners. They planned to hold a hearing for practitioner Mr. Liu Guoyao on December 9th and another hearing for practitioner Mr. Sun Fengli on December 10th. The judge who participated in trying Mr. Sun Fengli was Zhang Xuefeng (male) from the No. 1 Criminal Court.

Ms. Jiao Xuemei is an employee of The Thermal Energy Company in Tangshan City. She was sentenced on November 5th, 2008, without proper legal process. She was also sentenced by Zhang Xuefeng. Ms. Jiao's case has now been submitted to Tangshan City Intermediate Court.

Related personnel and work units:

Zhang Xuefeng, the judge in charge of Mr. Sun Fengli's case, from No.1 Criminal Court of Lubei District Court: 86-315-3730303
Lubei District Procuratorate, Tangshan City, Hebei Province: 86-315-3724090
Head of Lubei District Procuratorate Bi Tiesheng
Deputy Zhou Quan
Deputy Procurator Nan Keqin

No. 1 Forced Labour Camp in Hebei Province:
Head of No. 1 Forced Labour Camp, Xu Deshan: 86-315-3362702
Deputy Ruan Daguo: 86-315-3368820
Deputy Guao Weili: 86-315-3368810

No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City: 86-315-2861842, 86-315-2871528, 86-315-2824452 ext. 8011 or ext. 8051
Head of No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City Sun Yansong
Political Commissioner of No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City Xiang Zhongyuan
Deputy Officer of No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City Liu Xianghong (female)
Coroner of No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City Chen Zhengtang
Police Officer of No.1 Detention Centre in Tangshan City Sun Yongjun

Note

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

2. "Death Bed" torture: A practitioner is tied to a bed with his hands handcuffed above his head to the bed rails, and his legs tied with thin nylon ropes. The rope is then tightly wrapped around the practitioner's body and the bed, from his legs to his chest. The rope is wrapped so tightly that the practitioner has difficulty breathing and eventually loses consciousness.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/7/191223.html